Tales from the Trash Compactor
by Kelaria
Summary: Luke goes dumpster diving aboard the Death Star and discovers the truth about his father...
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_A SKYWALKER._

Luke read the curious inscription once again, holding the computer disc up to the light as he inspected its blackened, charred surface. He had found it four days ago aboard the Death Star, and by sheer coincidence it had saved his life twice already.

The first time it had saved him was the very moment he saw it. Luke had been dragged down to the bottom of the trash compactor by a monstrous Dianoga, and in his panic he had struggled against the beast until he had nearly passed out from lack of oxygen; but then something on the bottom of the tank had caught his eye: a shiny round computer disc, mysteriously labeled _"A SKYWALKER"_, glowing eerily in the faint light that filtered down through the garbage.

In his surprise, Luke had stopped struggling against the Dianoga to stare at the strange, shimmering disc; and thinking he was dead, the creature had simply let go of him, leaving him to rot for a few days before returning for a tasty meal. Unfortunately, since Luke had grown up on a desert planet and never learned how to swim, he figured he was dead anyway; and so in his last moments of consciousness he had reached for the silvery disc and tucked it inside his Stormtrooper armor, inanely reasoning that _he_ was in fact "a Skywalker". It was then that he had discovered that the water was only two feet deep; and feeling slightly foolish, he had pushed himself up to the surface, whereupon Han had immediately grabbed him and helped him to safety.

Luke had forgotten about the disc until he was changing back into his regular clothes later that day; and then, not knowing what else to do with it, he had tucked it inside the folds of his tunic, held securely just above his belt. After that, things had gotten a bit hectic, and he hadn't even been aware that he'd been shot until later that evening, when he discovered a singed hole in his tunic. He had pulled out the computer disc to find it hopelessly blackened and charred, damaged by the laser blast. The mysterious disc had saved his life once again.

_Perhaps it isn't completely destroyed,_ he thought optimistically, noticing that portions of the disc were still shiny and untouched. _Maybe I can still read some of it._ Sticking it into the computer terminal in his new private chamber on Yavin IV, Luke peered at the monitor hopefully. Then his eyes widened in shocked surprise as he read the first line.

_Property of Anakin Skywalker._

Luke's heart was beating wildly now. _"A SKYWALKER"_ didn't refer to just _any_ Skywalker; this disc had belonged to his father! Sadly, much of it had been destroyed by the laser blast, but parts were still readable... Luke scanned the contents, eager to learn whatever he could.

It seemed to be a history of his father's life; a memoir of sorts, beginning with his early years as a slave on Tatooine, and continuing with an account of his adventures while training to be a Jedi under the leadership of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Luke smiled happily, tears in his eyes as he read about the good times and exciting adventures they'd had together. He had never known his father, and was still grieving over the loss of his Uncle Owen, Aunt Beru, and most recently Ben Kenobi, who had been killed just as he was beginning to get to know him. This disc was truly a gift, and Luke treasured every word of it.

The data became more sketchy toward the end, but Luke was able to decipher most of his father's account of the Clone Wars, despite the damage to the disc. He knew his father had been killed in the war, and his eyes filled with tears as he realized this memoir would soon come to an abrupt end; but to his surprise, it continued into the early years of the Empire.

Luke was familiar with the calendar system used by the Empire; he himself was born in Year One of the Empire, so the dates corresponded with his own age. At this point unfortunately the disc data became more difficult to read, but he tried to make out what he could, surprised and amazed to learn that his father had survived into the age of the Empire.

_1: are no to ... ... fateful year... don't hav... heart to writ. abou... ..._

_5: Discov... Reb... ... Must warn Obi-W... dread... _

_5: Obi-Wa... Padm... alive... Alderaa... Le... Luke... Tat..ine... Yoda... insane... Dagob... pois.n mushr..ms... _

_5: Pad... Ob... Ba.l Org... New Repub... top ... Reb.. ... Do Not Trust!_

_5: ... serv. ... my penance... Palp... not suspect... Visit Padm... whenev.r... get away... _

_6: Pad... pregn... Ob..Wan. clon.s... L... Luk... safer they are... _

_10: Ben Ken... Tat... esc... prison... crim... insane... Yod... _

_16: Padm... lost ... ... Obi-W... train ... _

_18: New assign... Death St.r... v... danger... Palp... must not ... _

_19: D..th St.. . ..er..t..n.l..._

The account became completely unreadable from that point, and Luke's heart pounded as the realization hit him: _My father was alive, right up until this year?_ And he was assigned aboard the Death Star, apparently as a secret spy for Obi-Wan... _He wasn't killed in the Clone Wars,_ Luke realized excitedly. _He's still alive, working as a secret agent right under the Emperor's nose! Ben must not have trusted me enough to tell me..._ Then Luke's heart sank as he realized what had happened.

_He was stationed aboard the Death Star._

_And I blew it up. I killed him._

_My father was a hero, the last of the Jedi, and I killed him..._ Luke hung his head, sobbing uncontrollably in his grief. _I'm sorry,_ he cried miserably._Father, I didn't know... I'm sorry... Ben, why didn't you tell me?_

But then there was a knock on his door, and Luke quickly wiped away his tears, turning off the computer monitor. "Come in," he said, trying to compose himself.

It was Leia, followed by Han and Chewbacca. "Sorry to bother you," Leia smiled; then her expression turned to concern. "Luke, are you all right?" she asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he assured her, as Leia nodded sympathetically, putting a hand on his shoulder. Luke had already been in mourning these past few days, and he wasn't quite ready to tell the others about his father yet.

"Come on," Leia said gently, "We have to report to the medical unit; they need to give us a shot after our bio-hazard exposure in the trash compactor the other day," she apologized.

"Oh," Luke nodded, getting up. "Sure." He followed the others to the medical unit, then obediently went into a private exam room with one of the doctors.

"This won't hurt a bit," she promised, smiling. Luke grinned bravely; he wasn't afraid of shots, though from the roaring in the next room it sounded as if Chewie wasn't too pleased about this turn of events.

But Luke was surprised to suddenly feel weak, and dizzy. "Whoa, what's in that stuff?" he asked, his words sounding a bit slurred.

"Oh, just a little truth serum," the doctor smiled warmly. "Now," she continued, "You will tell me everything you know..."

Luke was vaguely aware of the doctor's questions, and he heard himself answering, though he didn't mean to. There were questions about Ben, questions about Vader and the Death Star, questions about his father... In the end he heard himself telling the doctor about the disc he'd found, and everything he had read. "I shouldn't be telling you this," he slurred nervously, with a little stupid laugh.

"Oh, don't worry," the doctor said, still smiling as she made an incision at the base of his skull and proceeded to implant a tracking device. "By tomorrow morning you won't remember any of this," she reassured him.

Sure enough, the next morning he woke up feeling perfectly fine, with no memory of anything but a routine medical procedure the evening before. As he pulled on his tunic, he noticed the singed hole again, and vaguely remembered the computer disc he had found a few days earlier. _I wonder what happened to that thing,_ he mused, looking around for it; but it was gone. _I guess I must have lost it,_ he shrugged indifferently, going out to join the others for breakfast.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_Earlier that week..._

Anakin had been having a perfectly good day.

Or at least, it was about as perfect as any day could be, considering that he was stuck aboard an Imperial Star Destroyer, commanding a bunch of complete idiots. Everything was running quite smoothly today, and there really wasn't much to do. Palpatine was on the other side of the galaxy dealing with "more important" matters; and so, after making one last half-hearted attempt at stalking around the ship and scaring the crap out of his crew, Anakin retired into his private little eggshell chamber to relax for a couple hours.

It had been three weeks since he had visited Padme and Obi-Wan, and Anakin was starting to feel a bit lonely. _I must sneak away to see them again soon,_ he told himself, pulling off his black helmet and running his fingers through his shaggy hair; it always itched after being stuck inside the helmet for too long. Then, feeling in a wistful, sentimental kind of mood, he went to his secret vault and pulled out his personal computer files.

_A SKYWALKER..._ He smiled mischievously, realizing once again that it was about the dumbest label he could have chosen for a top-secret file; but Anakin had always enjoyed living on the edge. And with all the espionage that he did these days, he was determined to have one thing that would remind him of who he really was. Besides, he always kept it locked up in his vault; no one could possibly ever get to it. Sticking the disc into his computer, he pulled up his memoirs and smiled as he was reminded of happier times and people that he loved.

He'd been working on his memoirs ever since _it_ happened. He still didn't like to think about _it_, but writing about _before_ had helped to keep him at least somewhat sane over the past twenty years.

The first five years had been the worst. Anakin had been all alone, without a friend in the world, working closely almost every day with Darth Hideous, as he secretly called his master behind his back. Hideous was... _hideous,_ he realized again with utter contempt. There was no other word to describe him. _How could I have ever been so dumb,_ he asked himself for the five billionth time. But what was done was done; and Anakin had spent the last twenty years paying for his mistake.

Anakin's main assignment - then and now - had been to find and destroy the Rebel Alliance, which was led by Master Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi. And in truth he had located them fairly quickly, within the first year of his service under the Empire; but Anakin had never bothered to report his findings to Hideous, and had spent the last twenty years flying from one end of the galaxy to the other in his massive Imperial Star Destroyer, making it _look_ as though he were hard at work, but never actually doing much of anything.

Hideous didn't seem to notice, or care; he was preoccupied with his own problems. And in Year 5 of the Empire, Anakin suddenly learned why: the Outer Rim was being threatened by aliens from another galaxy. The biological composition of these aliens was incompatible with humans and most other species; if they succeeded in their invasion, they would essentially spread a virus that would destroy all other life forms in the galaxy.

And so, as much as Anakin hated Hideous, he appreciated the fact that the Emperor was doing everything he could to protect the galaxy from these invading aliens. He had a fleet of Death Stars and Star Destroyers patrolling the Outer Rim, and thus far the Stormtroopers had succeeded in keeping the invaders at bay.

But in Year 5, when Anakin learned of this threat, he realized that he could no longer simply ignore the Rebel Alliance. Hideous and his Stormtroopers were the only things keeping the galaxy safe from the invading aliens; and the Stormtroopers were programmed to self-destruct in the event of Palpatine's downfall. So unfortunately, if the Rebels ever succeeded in overthrowing the Emperor (as Anakin had secretly hoped), they would inadvertently welcome the toxic invaders into the galaxy, thus destroying all other life forms.

And so, five years after Mustafar, Anakin had paid a visit to Obi-Wan on Tatooine, to warn him of this new threat. He had dreaded seeing his Master again, and would have preferred to send a simple anonymous message; but if word of this got out, panic, chaos, and anarchy would ensue, and without Palpatine's strength, there would be no one left to defend the galaxy from the invaders. Anakin trusted Obi-Wan, but he was about the _only_person he trusted; so he had been forced to pay him a visit in person.

Anakin smiled now as he remembered that first encounter in Obi-Wan's hovel. Anakin had shown up completely unannounced, in full Vader regalia, his red lightsaber blazing as he entered Obi-Wan's dwelling, and they had fought nonstop while Anakin informed Obi-Wan of the disturbing news. Then, just as abruptly, Anakin had turned to leave, wanting to get out of there as quickly as possible; just seeing Obi-Wan again was too painful.

But then Obi-Wan, being the giant softy that he always was, had insisted that Anakin stay for tea, and in the end they had both wound up crying like a couple of idiots and apologizing to each other for what had happened. Regretfully admitting that the security of the Rebel Alliance had been compromised, not only by the Empire but also potentially by agents of the invading aliens, Obi-Wan and Anakin had decided at that point to start another secret faction, which they named the New Republic.

The aim of the New Republic would be similar to that of the Rebel Alliance; except that instead of recruiting anyone who wanted to join, they would remain top secret; and rather than overthrowing the Emperor as quickly as possible, they would adopt a more careful approach, ensuring that they had a plan in place to keep the aliens at bay before getting rid of Palpatine.

Obi-Wan and Anakin were the founding members of the New Republic, but they knew that they would need other allies to support their cause. Anakin had suggested Master Yoda, but Obi-Wan had informed him sadly that Yoda had gone slightly nuts since his exile on Dagobah; apparently he had eaten some poisonous mushrooms which had destroyed an alarming number of brain cells, and he could no longer be trusted with top-secret information.

However, Obi-Wan _did_ trust Bail Organa, who was an important ally both in terms of his political influence in the Senate, and his vast financial resources as King of Alderaan. And so at that point both Obi-Wan and Bail withdrew from the Rebel Alliance to focus their efforts on the New Republic. It was reluctantly decided that Anakin could serve them better by retaining his Sith lord status and continuing to appear loyal to Palpatine, thereby keeping the New Republic informed of the Emperor's activities.

The fourth member to join the New Republic came as a complete shock to Anakin: it was none other than Padme Amidala, who, as it turned out, had faked her death to escape Anakin's notice, and had been hiding as a maidservant in the Organa household for the past five years. Anakin had wept with overwhelming relief to learn that Padme was alive and well; and then Obi-Wan had gently told him that the twins had also survived, and were safely in hiding.

He hadn't expected Padme to take him back; but within minutes of seeing each other they had been hugging and kissing and crying in each other's arms, just like old times. Anakin was shy about his injuries and scars, but Padme didn't seem to mind; she said she loved him anyway, and was glad that he didn't have to wear the mask all the time. At first the cybernetic suit and helmet had been a necessity, but within a year after Mustafar, Anakin had regained the ability to breathe on his own, at least when he was sitting quietly and not doing anything too strenuous. His hair had mostly grown back, and the scars weren't so terrible, once you got used to them.

They had been tempted to bring Luke and Leia with them to the new secret base of the New Republic; but in the end they reluctantly decided that the children were safer and happier where they were. They hadn't asked to be born into this mess, and as much as Anakin and Padme missed them, they wanted what was best for their children, and agreed that it would be selfish to drag them into this lonely and extremely dangerous exile. So at that point Padme tearfully said goodbye to Leia, whom she had been raising for the past five years, leaving the young girl to believe that her real mother had died.

But a year later they received some more unexpected news: Padme was pregnant again. Around this time, the twelve members of the New Republic (including Qui-Gon's ghost, who joined them occasionally, and who had managed to locate seven other Jedi survivors) realized that they needed to seriously start thinking about their plan to overthrow the Emperor. They knew that the Stormtroopers would self-destruct if anything happened to Palpatine, and faced the hard truth that they needed to start building their own army.

It was reluctantly decided that Anakin and Padme's next child would be trained as a Jedi by Obi-Wan, and that in fact _all_ of the remaining Jedi should make an effort to have children as well. But even so, they realized it would not be enough; they needed an army. And if they simply accepted anyone who wanted to join, they would suffer the same fate as the Rebel Alliance, whose security had been grievously compromised from the very beginning.

No one wanted to admit it, but in the end Bail Organa had brought up the topic that they had all been trying to avoid: they would need a clone army of their own. It was a terrible decision to make, but these were desperate times, and the lives of billions of people across the galaxy - humans and aliens alike - depended upon their strength and ultimate success. And so, after a long debate over the ethics of this decision, with great reluctance they finally agreed that they would commission five thousand clones.

The Kamino labs were not secure from the Emperor's spies, and so they had been forced to use a cloning lab with only basic technology; there could be no manipulation of the genetic code, and no accelerated growth rate. But they decided to go through with the plan, and finally had to make the decision as to who would be the host. In the end they decided to take a simple vote, and Obi-Wan was chosen as the best candidate, both for his high midichlorian count and his disciplined, obedient nature. Anakin's midichlorian count was easily twice that of Obi-Wan's, but no one in the entire group had voted for him. _They made the right decision,_ he laughed to himself now, cringing at the thought of five thousand little Vaders running around, wreaking havoc across the galaxy.

Over the next ten years, he and Padme had had five more children, all of whom were now being trained by Obi-Wan, along with two children of another Jedi who was now married. Padme had been pregnant with a sixth child a few years ago, but tragically she had lost the baby, and now her child-bearing days were over. It had been a very sad time for Anakin and Padme, but they were grateful to have five beautiful children in addition to Luke and Leia. The eldest of their brood was now fourteen, and the youngest just turned seven; Anakin had been happy to make it home for her birthday three weeks ago.

But the main hope of their military force rested on the Obi clones, which were officially numbered OB-1 through OB-5000, although Padme had given them all individual names as babies. The Obi clones were now thirteen years old, and they were extremely well-behaved, delightful children, in addition to being highly gifted Jedi padawans. Obi-Wan had trained them well, and for the first time in twenty years, the members of the New Republic felt that they were almost ready to get rid of Palpatine and take over the defense of the Outer Rim. _But not quite yet,_ Anakin admitted.

All in all, things were going quite well at the moment. Hideous was generally maintaining order and peace in the galaxy, and the Rebel Alliance was so full of Imperial spies that it posed no real threat. The New Republic would be ready to overthrow the Emperor in a few more years. At this point there was only one thing that made Anakin slightly nervous: Ben Kenobi. _Actually, two things,_ he admitted worriedly, remembering his younger brother Ken, who had disappeared ten years earlier.

Ben and Ken were Obi-Wan's older brothers. In fact, Obi-Wan had not known of their existence until thirteen years ago, when Qui-Gon suddenly informed him that they had escaped from a maximum-security facility for the criminally insane, and were now studying the Jedi arts under the equally nutty Master Yoda on Dagobah. This news had come just after the creation of the Obi clones, and Obi-Wan had been horrified to learn that there was a history of insanity in his family.

Thankfully the Obi clones had turned out all right, and after a bit of research, Obi-Wan had sadly discovered that his elder brothers' insanity was probably due to being raised by a sadistically abusive (and undoubtedly Force-sensitive) father. Obi-Wan had escaped their tragic fate only because his mother had died in childbirth after being severely beaten by her husband. Unlike his older brothers, Obi-Wan's midichlorian count had been tested right away, and he had been sent immediately to Coruscant to be raised as a Jedi youngling.

Ben and Ken, however, grew up in the most wretched circumstances imaginable, and by their early teens they had already been committed to a juvenile psychiatric facility, unable to function in normal society. Ben had made admirable progress with counseling and therapy, and had eventually been released from the facility and awarded custody of his younger brother Ken, who unfortunately would always require constant supervision, as his psychiatric problems were more severe.

Sadly their freedom was short-lived. One day Ken - for no apparent reason whatsoever - lit himself on fire, and insisted that Ben had done it to him. After that, they were both locked away for life in a maximum-security psychiatric facility, and Ken would forever be hideously scarred from the terrible burns he had suffered.

A turning point in their lives came when they were 37 and 40 years old, respectively. They saw on the news that Darth Maul had been killed by a twenty-five-year-old Jedi named Obi-Wan Kenobi, who bore an uncanny resemblance to Ben at that age. Doing the math, they realized that Obi-Wan was born the same year that their mother had died in childbirth. The baby wasn't stillborn as they had been told; he had survived, and was now a Jedi!

Ben and Ken were extremely proud of their little brother, and realized what they had known all along: they had special powers themselves, which unfortunately had gotten them into trouble time and again. But if they could learn to control their powers, perhaps one day they, too, could become Jedi Knights...

It had taken them another twenty years, but finally they had managed to escape from the mental hospital. Ben had managed to talk his way past the guards using his fledgling powers of mind control, and Ken had focused his intense anger and frustration on the security gate, causing the bars to bend just enough to let them through. Then they had stolen a small shuttle, and had closed their eyes and allowed the Force to guide them wherever it might.

They had landed on Dagobah, and Yoda had been overjoyed to have visitors. He had insisted upon training them in the Jedi arts _("Mmmm-hmm-hmm-hmmm! Train you I will! Yes, yes! Powerful Jedi, you will be!")_, although in his mushroom-induced senility he kept insisting that Ben was in fact Obi-Wan. Ben didn't mind; he respected his little brother tremendously and felt honored to take his place in Yoda's warped mind. Then one day Yoda reminded him that he should be on Tatooine watching over young Luke, and so at that point Ben had taken up residence in Obi-Wan's old hovel, happily assuming his brother's identity.

It was then that Obi-Wan and Anakin became truly alarmed. Until that point, they hadn't seen the harm in poor old Yoda having some company on Dagobah, and they all seemed so happy together; but they did not like the idea of Ben being so close to Luke. Thankfully Owen quickly put a stop to his visits, making it obvious that he was not welcome anywhere near the boy; Qui-Gon had been keeping an eye on him, and reported that for the past ten years Ben seemed content to simply sit in his hovel and meditate most of the time. Ben had never been violent, and Anakin had finally accepted Qui-Gon's judgment that he was just a harmless old crazy guy.

Unfortunately, they had lost track of Ken altogether, and even Qui-Gon had been unable to locate him these past ten years. He had briefly shown up at the Organa residence, scaring the servants with his grotesque appearance and insisting that he had been sent by the Force to watch over Leia; they had called the palace guards, but unfortunately Ken had escaped in the confusion, never to be heard from again. Anakin felt guilty admitting that he wished Obi-Wan's brother dead, but sadly it was true; he would rest easier knowing for certain what had become of poor, crazy old Ken Kenobi.

_At least Luke and Leia are safe,_ he reminded himself again. Leia couldn't have asked for a more privileged upbringing, and was now a Senator herself; Anakin was extremely proud of his daughter, who seemed to be following in her mother's footsteps. And he was tremendously grateful to Owen and Beru for providing a loving, safe home for Luke as well; they didn't have a lot of money, but they had always put Luke's best interests first. Anakin had been alarmed to learn of his son's recent desire to join the Rebellion, but thankfully Owen had managed to put a stop to that as well.

Anakin had visited Luke and Leia a few times over the years, always in disguise; he was incredibly proud of his children and was grateful that he had been able to watch over them from a distance, and even see them secretly in person from time to time. Luke had almost discovered him once, and Anakin had been forced to quickly escape; he smiled now at the memory.

Then he squinted at his computer monitor, surprised by the little red warning sign that had just popped up: "Warning: Security Breach!" _What the...?_Anakin stared at it for a moment; then he realized what was happening. His computer was being hacked! This had happened a few times before, but never when he was actually watching. The Rebel Alliance was always hacking into the Executor's main computer, trying to steal plans to the Death Star, but Anakin had never worried too much about it. They were welcome to whatever plans they wanted; there was no way anyone could destroy a Death Star, with or without the plans. But if the Rebel Alliance somehow got hold of Anakin's personal files, with information about the New Republic and the alien invaders...

_No no no no no,_ Anakin thought frantically, ejecting the disc from the computer. But it wouldn't come out! _Come on! Please! Noooo!_ The computer was jammed, and it took several minutes, but finally the disc came out, and he quickly locked it back in his vault. Then he put his helmet back on and strode angrily out to the command bridge.

"Lord Vader; the security of our main computer has been compromised," his captain informed him. "They appear to have captured the plans to the Death Star, as well as a few other files that may have come from your personal computer. The information was captured by a nearby Rebel ship; we have the ship in our tractor beam now."

_Well this completely sucks._ "Prepare a boarding party; I want those plans back!" Anakin yelled in his best scary voice, storming down to the docking bay to board the captured Rebel ship. _So much for my perfect day,_ he sighed regretfully. _I almost managed to get through it without having to torture anyone. But this time these Rebels have gone too far..._

He knew he had to get his secret files back at all costs, before anyone else had a chance to read them. _And if someone already has...?_ Anakin's stride was resolute as he continued briskly through the hallway, his black cape sweeping behind him. _The lives of billions of people are at stake if this information gets out. If I have to kill one, or two, or even the entire crew... _

_I will do what I must,_ Anakin resolved, steeling himself for the upcoming encounter.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Anakin boarded the Rebel ship, sobered to see the dead bodies lying all over the floor. _You people are no match for Storm Troopers,_ he thought sadly. _When will you ever learn?_

Grabbing the nearest Rebel officer, Anakin began to question him; but he was soon interrupted by one of his own Storm Troopers. "The Death Star plans are not in the main computer," the Storm Trooper informed him. _Great. We're going to have to do this the hard way,_ Anakin sighed regretfully.

"Where are those transmissions you intercepted?" he demanded, lifting the Rebel officer off his feet and squeezing his throat. "What have you done with those plans?" _Just tell me. I need to know NOW. Don't make me kill you._

"We intercepted no transmissions," the Rebel insisted, choking. "This is a consular ship... We're on a diplomatic mission." Anakin could sense that he was lying, but he didn't have time for this right now; he needed to retrieve his secret files immediately, before the Rebels could transmit them to another ship.

"If this is a consular ship, where is the Ambassador?" Anakin asked, crushing his windpipe and throwing him against the wall. _I hate doing that, but you stupid Rebels give me no choice..._ "Commander, tear this ship apart until you've found those plans. And bring me the passengers; I want them alive!"

Anakin stormed off through the hallway. He was beginning to panic: where were the secret files? Would he have to torture every single one of these Rebels? _This is my own fault,_ he admitted angrily. _I should never have kept top-secret files aboard the Executor. Now I might have to kill every last person aboard this ship,_ he realized, sickened by the thought. _All because I was stupid. These are brave people - naiive, and very dangerous, but they mean well..._ Anakin was thankful for his mask; it hid his teary eyes and pained expression.

_I will do what I must. But then I will get rid of all my personal files, so that this never happens again,_ he resolved, trying to remain calm and focus on the problem at hand. _This is a bad situation, but it will be all right. I'll blow up the whole ship if I have to, but I will not put Obi-Wan, Padme, and the rest of the galaxy at risk because of my stupid mistake. I will be the monster, and do what has to be done._

But suddenly the situation got much, much worse, as his officers brought him the Ambassador: Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan. _No,_ Anakin thought, horrified, feeling suddenly weak. _Nooooooo! Leia, what the hell are you doing here? No no no no no..._

"Darth Vader," Leia said bravely, her contempt obvious. "Only you could be so bold. The Imperial Senate will not sit still for this. When they hear you've attacked a diplomatic - "

"Don't act so surprised, Your Highness," Anakin threatened. "You weren't on any mercy mission this time." _Maybe if I frighten her enough she'll be more careful in the future._ "Several transmissions were beamed to this ship by Rebel spies. I want to know what happened to the plans they sent you."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Leia insisted. "I'm a member of the Imperial Senate on a diplomatic mission to Alderaan."

"You are part of the Rebel Alliance, and a traitor. Take her away!" Anakin commanded. _Great. Now I have to torture my own daughter to save her life. She will hate me forever,_ he realized sadly, still feeling sick. _Leia, how could you? Does Bail know about this?_

"Lord Vader, the battle station plans are not aboard this ship," his officer informed him. "And no transmissions were made. An escape pod was jettisoned during the fighting, but no life forms were aboard."

"She must have hidden the plans in the escape pod," Anakin realized. "Send a detachment down to retrieve them. See to it personally, Commander. There will be no one to stop us this time." Anakin left the Rebel ship and stormed back to the Executor's detention cells, where Leia had been taken. His first thought was for his daughter's safety; but as he reached the detention wing, he realized that finding those files was more urgent right now.

_I must go myself,_ he realized. He could not trust his own men to safely retrieve the files; they were stupid and incompetent, and didn't know what they were looking for. Anakin briefly considered questioning Leia, but he knew it was useless. _She is too strong-minded,_ he realized ruefully, with a wistful smile. "Keep the Princess here," he commanded his officer. "Do not allow anyone to speak to her. I will deal with her when I return."

"Yes, Lord Vader," the officer replied, with his usual fearful obedience.

Returning to the command deck, he demanded an update on the search party that had been sent to retrieve the escape pod. "The escape pod landed on Tatooine," the captain informed him. "Our Storm Troopers found evidence of droids, and footprints leading off into the desert, but there was a windstorm and the tracks have disappeared..."

Anakin didn't wait to hear any more. _This is worse than I ever imagined,_ he realized, storming off to the docking bay. _Tatooine? She sent the plans to Tatooine?_ There was only one explanation: Luke was involved too! _They have found each other?_ Anakin wondered, impressed but alarmed. _We have spent twenty years trying to protect them from all of this, and now they have gone and joined the Rebellion anyway..._ If Anakin weren't so worried right now, he would actually be proud of them.

_They think they're doing the right thing,_ he sighed, taking off in his private shuttle and setting the coordinates for Tatooine. But sadly his children were mistaken. And worse, they were now lost to him forever. The Imperial spies within the Rebel Alliance secretly implanted tracking devices in all its members, and they were subject to interrogation at any time. The tracking devices were essentially slave implants, and would explode if tampered with; the operation could not be undone. Anakin and Padme had always hoped that perhaps one day they could be reunited with their firstborn children; but now it was impossible, as their privacy and security had been compromised.

Then Anakin realized something even worse. The slave devices that the Imperial spies implanted into all Rebel Alliance members had a remote destruct feature; what if Hideous had programmed them to self-destruct in the case of his downfall? Tears sprang to Anakin's eyes as he realized the tragedy of this situation. _If we ever succeed in overthrowing Hideous, Leia and Luke might be killed instantly as well._

_This is the worst day of my life,_ Anakin realized tearfully. _Because of my stupidity I have killed my own firstborn children. And they're only trying to do the right thing, and undo the mistakes I made twenty years ago..._ But Anakin knew he had to pull himself together. _I must not let my personal attachments cloud my judgment,_ he reminded himself. _That's what got us all into this mess in the first place._

_The safety of the galaxy comes first,_ he knew. _I must retrieve my secret files, and deal with the people who may have already read them. My duty is to the New Republic and to the survival of the galaxy, even if it means sacrificing my own children._ Anakin would have gladly sacrificed himself in their stead, but sadly it would not accomplish anything. He knew that he would serve them better by continuing his quest along with the New Republic to save the galaxy both from Palpatine and from the alien invaders.

But he had already had his fill of death and torture today, and as he flew over the desert of Tatooine in search of the escaped droids, he decided that at least this part of his mission could be accomplished without bloodshed. _I'm tired of being Vader,_ he decided, sickened by his own actions. _Vader is a murdering creep._ Thankfully he had another disguise which he kept hidden in his shuttle for emergencies.

_I will be Gong-Gong,_ he resolved, and the thought comforted him. Gong-Gong was the perfect disguise, and had saved him many times over the past twenty years, both in top-secret espionage situations, and in times of frustration and despair, when he was in imminent danger of losing his sanity. Gong-Gong wasn't a murderer, or a Sith lord. Gong-Gong never hurt anybody. No one hated Gong-Gong.

Gong-Gong was essentially a big trash can with legs. Anakin had constructed the disguise in great haste one day almost twenty years ago, using a large rectangular trash can and some ventilation hose; he hadn't expected it to be so successful, but the truth was that _nobody_ paid any notice to a silly trash can that walked around saying _"Gong... Gong Gong..."_ Most people assumed he was a primitive droid of some type, and the only real drawback was that once in a while someone would drop a paper cup or food wrapper onto him.

Anakin was now flying over the crashed escape pod, and he could see droid tracks leading away from it; as his commander had reported, the tracks had been erased by the desert winds. But Anakin knew exactly where to find the droids. Seeing a Jawa transport in the distance, he set his shuttle down inside a hidden canyon; then, climbing into his Gong-Gong suit, he set out on foot across the desert.

_This isn't the most comfortable disguise,_ Anakin admitted, crouched inside the trash can as he waddled stupidly through the sand. He had always meant to at least add arms to the trash can, but had never gotten around to it. The visibility wasn't great either. But Anakin suspected that the success of his disguise was largely due to its idiotic simplicity.

Anakin approached the Jawa transport now, and thankfully it stopped, pulling him aboard. _"Gong... Gong Gong,"_ he said, as they herded him inside along with the other droids. Then he looked around, trying to determine which of his new cabin mates might be carrying his secret plans.

He froze when he heard an absurdly familiar voice. "Artoo? Artoo-Detoo, it _is_ you, it _is_ you!"

_What?_ turning around, Anakin stared in disbelief at See-Threepio and Artoo-Detoo. _They have my files,_ he realized immediately, though he wasn't certain how Leia came to be in possession of the droids. But the way this day was turning out, nothing surprised him any more.

Anakin waited until the Jawas were asleep and the other droids had been deactivated for the night; then, climbing out of his trash can, he stretched his aching muscles and set about retrieving his secret files from Artoo. _At least that disaster has been averted,_ Anakin sighed, crawling back into his trash can to rest for the night. It wasn't the most comfortable place to sleep, but after twenty years inside the Vader suit, Anakin had grown used to being uncomfortable most of the time.

_After I deal with Leia I'll visit Padme and Obi-Wan again,_ he decided, feeling sad and lonely after today's traumatic events. Padme would be devastated to hear that Leia and Luke had joined the Rebellion, but Anakin couldn't wait to tell her how brave Leia had been today, and how beautiful she had grown... _Just like her mother,_ Anakin smiled wistfully.

And as for Luke... Maybe he hadn't joined yet. If Leia was sending the files here to Tatooine, Luke must still be here. Anakin knew that Owen was doing everything he could to keep Luke away from the Rebellion, and now that the secret files had been deleted from Artoo's memory... _Perhaps it isn't too late,_ he desperately hoped. _Maybe Luke will have enough sense to stay out of this mess._

But he would have to talk to Bail and Obi-Wan immediately, to inform them of this latest development. _I will question Leia, and make sure she is returned safely to Alderaan, and then I will regroup with the New Republic,_ he resolved. Thankfully it had been a quiet week, with not much to do; once he got Leia safely home again, Anakin would easily be able to slip away for a day or so. He looked forward to seeing Padme and the children again...

_Whoa._ Anakin woke up, startled to realize that he had actually drifted off to sleep; it was morning, and the Jawa transport was moving again. Presently it stopped, and Anakin waddled toward the doorway to make his escape; but he could dimly see customers approaching to buy droids, and so he quickly hurried away. He needed to get back to Leia immediately.

_Not that anyone would actually want to buy a walking trash can,_ he admitted with a rueful grin. _Come to think of it..._ An hour later he waddled off the edge of the transport while it was moving, falling to the ground and pretending to be broken; as he suspected, the Jawas did not bother to stop and pick him up again. Then, once the transport was out of sight, Anakin clumsily got to his feet and waddled across the desert, back toward the canyon where his shuttle was hidden.

An hour later Darth Vader was back aboard the Executor, on his way to the detention cells to talk to Leia. _No,_ he realized, suddenly turning around. _I have waited too long already. I must destroy my personal files now, before they fall into the wrong hands._ Returning to his private chamber, he opened his vault and pulled out the top-secret disc labeled _"A SKYWALKER"_. The disc was indestructible; he would have to drop it into the incinerator on his way back to the detention cells.

Tucking it in his belt, he emerged from his private chamber once again, only to be met by his captain. "Lord Vader," the captain said politely. "Grand Moff Tarkin heard of the incident with the Rebel ship; he has taken Princess Leia aboard the Death Star for questioning," he informed him.

"What?" Anakin roared, barely masking his panic. "I told you to hold her here! I left strict orders that _no one_ was to speak to her until I returned!"_Ahhh! Now that psychopath Tarkin has my daughter! Who knows what he's done to her already..._

"Yes, my Lord, I - "

But Anakin was already storming back toward his private shuttle. _This day just keeps getting worse,_ he realized with alarm, taking off at full speed and flying toward the Death Star. _If he has touched her I will kill him..._ Praying that he wasn't too late, Anakin raced toward the Death Star in a desperate attempt to save his daughter from the evil Grand Moff.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"And what of the Rebellion?" Commander Tagge asked. "If the Rebels have obtained a complete technical readout of this station, it is possible, however unlikely, that they might find a weakness and exploit it."

"The plans you refer to will soon be back in our hands," Anakin assured him. _You people are too uptight. Who cares about your stupid Death Star plans._ Anakin was anxious to get Leia back, but he couldn't let on his real reason for boarding the Death Star, and so he had been forced to join Tarkin and his flunkies in one of their pointless, boring meetings.

"Any attack made by the Rebels against this station would be a useless gesture, no matter what technical data they've obtained. This station is now the ultimate power in the universe," Admiral Motti sneered haughtily.

_This guy pisses me off._ "Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed," Anakin told him. "The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force." _Haha! I love messing with their heads... But I really don't have time for this right now,_ Anakin admitted regretfully. Last time he'd had them all reciting poetry and tap-dancing on top of the conference table; it had been amusing, but Anakin was anxious to get to his daughter now.

"Don't try to frighten us with your sorcerer's ways, Lord Vader," Motti said. "Your sad devotion to that ancient religion has not helped you conjure up the stolen data tapes, or given you clairvoyance enough to find the Rebel's hidden fort - " He broke off suddenly, clutching his throat.

"I find your lack of faith disturbing," Anakin told him quietly. _You guys are such complete morons. The Rebels are on Yavin IV; we've known about it for two years now. It's right there in the Death Star's main computer if you actually bothered to look._ Sometimes Anakin couldn't believe the utter stupidity of his co-workers. Of course, he _had_ brainwashed them all so many times that they barely remembered what they were doing; Tarkin's own spies within the Rebel Alliance sent him regular reports on their activities, and Anakin was constantly having to mind-whammy the Grand Moff to keep him in the dark.

"Enough of this!" Tarkin said, annoyed. "Vader, release him!"

"As you wish," Anakin agreed, letting go of Motti's throat.

"This bickering is pointless," Tarkin said. "Lord Vader will provide us with the location of the Rebel fortress by the time this station is operational. We will then crush the Rebellion with one swift stroke."

_Finally,_ Anakin sighed, as the meeting adjourned; then he headed toward the detention cells where Leia was being held. Tarkin's men had questioned her before Anakin arrived, but the Grand Moff had seemed rather annoyed and uptight; apparently Leia hadn't told them anything useful. Anakin smiled behind his mask, proud of his daughter's willpower.

But as he approached the detention wing, he remembered what had brought her into this mess in the first place. _My memoirs,_ he sighed ruefully, realizing that he had still forgotten to destroy the computer disc. Pulling it out of his belt now, he regretfully dropped it into a nearby garbage chute. He knew he should probably incinerate the disc; but at the rate things were going today, it was best to just get rid of it as quickly as possible. But as he heard his beloved disc clatter down the chute toward the garbage compactor, Anakin sighed wistfully, sad to lose the one thing that reminded him of who he really was.

A few minutes later he entered Leia's detention cell, along with two security guards and a probe droid. "And now, Your Highness, we will discuss the location of your hidden Rebel base," Anakin said threateningly, as the probe droid injected his daughter with truth serum. _I'm sorry, sweety. I won't let anyone hurt you. I just have to know what you've been up to._ "Leave us," he commanded the guards.

Leia's eyes were dilated halfway now, and Anakin began to question her. "How long have you been with the Rebel Alliance?" he asked. He was actually trying _not_ to sound too creepy, but unfortunately he couldn't help it. _It's good to scare her,_ he realized sadly. _Then maybe she'll realize how dangerous all of this is._

"I don't know what you're talking about," Leia said, her words a bit slurred, but her voice still filled with contempt. Anakin smiled proudly. _Good girl, Leia._ Then with a rueful sigh, he gave her another injection.

"How long," he asked again, quietly.

Leia looked away from him, closing her eyes. "Almost a year now," she admitted, hanging her head weakly.

Anakin's eyes filled with tears, both to see his daughter in this weakened state, and to realize the danger she was in. The Imperial spies would have surely implanted a slave device into her brain by now. Thus far Anakin had managed to keep the Rebel Alliance hidden from Palpatine, Tarkin and the rest of the Empire, and until now it had mostly been a game for his own amusement; but suddenly it had become deadly serious. Anakin realized that if he slipped up even once, it would mean his daughter's life.

He dreaded the answer to his next question. "Is Luke involved?" he asked, his heart sinking.

But Leia looked confused. "Who... Who is Luke?" she asked, blinking.

_She doesn't know?_ "Why did you send the plans to Tatooine?" Anakin asked, trying to understand her actions.

"I... I was trying to reach Obi-Wan Kenobi. He was involved in the Rebellion years ago, and we desperately need his help now," Leia confessed reluctantly. "I didn't know who else to turn to."

_Oh, Leia._ Anakin hung his head sadly, wishing he could comfort his daughter, or somehow help her. _At least Luke isn't involved,_ he consoled himself, though it tore him apart to see that Leia had fallen into this trap. _I should have destroyed the Rebels years ago, and then none of this would ever have happened,_ he berated himself angrily.

"Does your father know about this?" he asked her, desperately hoping the answer was no. Bail Organa was a top member of the New Republic; if he knew of Leia's involvement with the Rebellion and had been hiding it from Obi-Wan and Anakin, then all was lost...

"No," Leia confessed. "He doesn't know. The decision was my own, and I take full responsibility for my actions," she said bravely, looking straight at Anakin. The drugs were already beginning to wear off; Leia's strength of will was incredible.

"And where is the hidden Rebel base?" Anakin asked, testing her.

Leia narrowed her dilated eyes. "I will never tell you."

Anakin smiled. _Way to go, Leia. I'm so proud of you._ She was resisting the drugs, and could not be interrogated again for at least another day; hopefully now Anakin could convince Tarkin to let him take Leia back aboard the Executor. "Very well," he said coldly. "Perhaps a more lengthy visit as a personal guest aboard my ship will change your mind." Exiting the detention cell, he returned to the Death Star's command center.

"Her resistance to the mind probe is considerable," Anakin informed Tarkin. "It will be some time before we can extract any information from her." He was about to suggest that he take Leia back to the Executor; but then he was interrupted by another officer.

"The final check is complete; all systems are operational. What course shall we set?" the officer asked Tarkin.

"Perhaps she would respond to an alternative form of persuasion," Tarkin mused.

"What do you mean?" Anakin asked, alarmed. _I don't like that look in his eyes. Something is going on here..._

"I think it is time we demonstrate the full power of this station," Tarkin said. "Set your course for Princess Leia's home planet of Alderaan," he commanded his trooper.

Anakin stared at him, stunned. On any normal day he would assume Tarkin was bluffing, just to scare the Princess; but this was not a normal day, and he sensed that the Grand Moff was deadly serious. _He's going to blow up Alderaan..._ "Do you think that is a wise decision?" he asked Tarkin. "The Princess will see right through this little game," he warned him.

"Oh, it's no game, I assure you. The order comes from the Emperor himself. There has been a bio-hazard leak on Alderaan, and we are to destroy the planet immediately; I am simply trying to accomplish two things at once," he said smugly. "Have no fear, Lord Vader. We will soon learn the location of the Rebel base that has eluded you these past twenty years."

Anakin felt like he was going to faint. _A bio-hazard leak..._ This was the whole reason Tarkin's Death Star was stationed in the Interior of the galaxy: in the unlikely case that an invading alien ship should get past Palpatine's army on the Outer Rim, the incident would be reported as a "bio-hazard leak" and any planet contaminated by the aliens would be destroyed.

_Alderaan is lost already,_ Anakin knew. _Half the planet is probably dead by now._ The entire planet would have to be destroyed immediately, or the aliens would continue to spread their deadly biological toxins to the rest of the galaxy. Anakin closed his eyes. _Qui-Gon,_ he called out silently, desperately trying to warn the New Republic of the imminent attack.

There was no answer for several seconds; but then Anakin was grateful to hear Qui-Gon's voice inside his head. _We're dealing with it,_ Qui-Gon informed him hastily. _The royal family is safe; we're evacuating everyone we can. Anakin, you must destroy Alderaan. We will be safely out of sight by the time you are in range._

_Yes Master,_ Anakin replied, still shaking; and then Qui-Gon's presence was gone. Anakin's lungs ached painfully as the mechanical respirator forced oxygen through them, fighting violently against his own shocked, shallow breathing.

"Lord Vader, bring the Princess here," Tarkin commanded him haughtily. "I think you will learn that there are other, more effective means of persuasion than your pathetic devotion to the Force."

_No,_ Anakin shuddered. _Don't make her watch..._ But he knew it was hopeless. He couldn't mind-whammy his way out of this one; he needed Tarkin fully functional to give the command to destroy Alderaan. "As you wish," he said coldly, returning to Leia's detention cell.

What happened next was terrible. Anakin stood protectively behind his daughter, unable to console her as she witnessed the destruction of her home planet of Alderaan. Leia did not know that her adoptive parents had escaped safely; but Anakin was amazed and touched by her bravery. She did not shed a single tear in front of the Grand Moff, and still she would not give up the location of the Rebel base.

"She lied!" Tarkin exclaimed angrily, after receiving word that the Rebels were not on Dantooine. "She lied to us!"

"I told you she would never consciously betray the Rebellion," Anakin said.

"Terminate her... immediately!" Tarkin commanded.

_Noooo!_ Anakin's mind raced as he tried to think of a way out of this one. "With pleasure," he nodded to Tarkin. "I will see to it personally." He started back toward the detention cells, but was interrupted by an officer's voice over the intercom.

"We've captured a freighter entering the remains of the Alderaan system. Its markings match those of a ship that blasted its way out of Mos Eisley," the officer informed them.

Anakin thought quickly. "They must be trying to return the stolen plans to the Princess," he improvised. "She may yet be of some use to us," he suggested, convincing Tarkin to delay Leia's execution until after the new prisoners had been questioned. Then he went to the docking bay to deal with the captured ship.

"There's no one on board, sir," an officer informed him. "According to the log, the crew abandoned ship right after takeoff. It must be a decoy, sir. Several of the escape pods have been jettisoned."

"Did you find any droids?" Anakin asked. _I deleted the Death Star plans from Artoo's memory... Didn't I?_ he wondered suddenly. He had been so intent on getting his personal files back, he wasn't certain now... And Artoo had always been full of surprises... Anakin tried not to laugh at how completely out of control this situation had gotten.

"No, sir," the officer told him. "If there were any on board, they must also have jettisoned."

"Send a scanning crew on board," Anakin said. "I want every part of this ship checked."

"Yes, sir," the officer replied.

_At least Leia's safe for the moment. I'll get her out of here, and then..._ Anakin stopped suddenly. "I sense something," he mused, surprised. "A presence I haven't felt since..." _Oh, crap!_ he realized in alarm, walking quickly away.

The presence he felt aboard the ship was none other than Luke Skywalker. And with him, Anakin sensed someone else who felt a bit like Obi-Wan, but wasn't... _She lied to me!_ Anakin realized, blinking in disbelief. _Luke was involved the whole time! And now he's come to rescue her..._ Though how crazy old Ben had gotten involved with all this he couldn't even begin to guess.

Anakin hurried away from the _Millennium Falcon_, knowing that Luke stood a better chance of succeeding if Darth Vader wasn't standing right there in the docking bay to greet him. _I hope you know what you're doing, son,_ he thought anxiously, returning to the command center to stall for time and distract Tarkin while Luke attempted his heroic rescue operation.

_Can this day possibly get any worse?_ Anakin asked himself, wondering how the heck he was going to get out of this one.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Governor Tarkin. I need to speak with you. Alone," Anakin informed the Grand Moff, trying to sound dark and mysterious. _I have to distract him to give Luke and Leia time to escape._

"In a moment," Tarkin replied curtly, ignoring Anakin for several minutes while he pretended to be busy with more important things. _Fine with me. Take your time._ "Very well," Tarkin said after a few minutes. "Lord Vader and I will be in the conference room," he informed his officers, as Anakin followed him out from the command bridge.

"What is it that you needed to speak to me about?" Tarkin asked somewhat impatiently, sitting at the table in the conference room.

Anakin sat down across from him. "I apologize for the interruption," he began. "I know you are a busy man, with many responsibilities. But I was just wondering... What is your favorite color?" he asked, subtly waving his fingers.

Tarkin looked annoyed, and slightly uncomfortable, but his answer was civil enough. "Black," he replied curtly.

"Really?" Anakin asked, smiling. "Mine, too!" he said, gesturing dramatically at his black suit and cloak. "I didn't realize that you and I had so much in common," he remarked casually, leaning back in his chair and putting his feet up on the table. "How do you feel about Bantha-poodoo green?" he asked, waving his fingers at Tarkin's uniform.

Tarkin looked down at himself in disdain. "It's quite ugly," he admitted. Then he seemed to come to his senses. "Lord Vader, get your feet off the table," he commanded, irritated.

"As you wish," Anakin replied obediently, sitting up properly again.

"Now, what is it that you wished to discuss with me?" Tarkin asked impatiently.

_Good question,_ Anakin sighed. He knew he would need to come up with an explanation for Leia's escape; he may as well sow the seeds of his cover story now. "Obi-Wan Kenobi," he said gravely, getting up and pacing around the room.

Tarkin sighed with annoyance. "We already had a meeting to discuss him this morning," he reminded Anakin. "What is so important that it cannot wait until tomorrow?" he asked testily. Tarkin and his officers met nearly every day to discuss the elusive General Kenobi, fabled leader of the Rebel Alliance, though no one had seen or heard from him in over twenty years.

"He is here," Anakin informed Tarkin dramatically.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi! What makes you think so?" Tarkin asked, clearly not believing him.

"A tremor in the Force," Anakin replied. "The last time I felt it was in the presence of my old master."

"Surely he must be dead by now," Tarkin scoffed, as usual.

_Ha! You'd be surprised..._ "Don't underestimate the power of the Force," he reminded the Grand Moff ominously.

"The Jedi are extinct; their fire has gone out of the universe. You, my friend, are all that's left of their religion," Tarkin said disdainfully.

Anakin laughed silently; they had this discussion every time he visited. _Yeah, I'm all that's left... Unless you count Obi-Wan, and the seven other Jedi Masters in the New Republic, and... Oh yes, Qui-Gon is back, and Yoda still counts, I think... Then - let's see, I've got 5 kids who are all padawans, and there are two other younglings from another Jedi, and let's not forget the FIVE THOUSAND Obi clones... And now it looks like Ben and Luke are having a stab at it too,_ he realized, though the thought alarmed him a bit.

Just then Tarkin's comlink buzzed. "Governor Tarkin, we have an emergency alert in detention block AA-twenty-three," an officer alerted him.

"The Princess!" Tarkin realized. "Put all sections on alert!"

_Oh, crap! Luke, get her out of there NOW!_ Anakin knew Tarkin would order him to deal with the matter personally; he had to think fast. "Obi-Wan is here," he insisted again. "The Force is with him." _I'll just go off pretending to look for Obi-Wan and give them some more time..._

"If you're right, he must not be allowed to escape," Tarkin conceded.

_Yes! Thank you._ "Escape is not his plan; I must face him alone," Anakin said mysteriously, stalking off to search for nothing at all.

Anakin walked through the hallways of the Death Star, knowing that the best thing he could do for Luke was to stay away. He had been monitoring Luke's presence for the past ten minutes, and he was doing well; Anakin had sensed moments of heightened tension and alarm, but Luke was keeping his head, and Anakin smiled proudly.

Stopping by a computer console, Anakin decided that at least he could disable the Death Star's tractor beam so that they could get away; but he was surprised to see that it had already been disabled. _Did Luke do that?_ he wondered, impressed. _He must have the plans to the Death Star._ Then suddenly Anakin turned around, sensing sheer panic and terror.

_This is not good,_ he realized in alarm, running toward the detention wing. _Luke, what's happening?_ He nearly tripped over a little droid that zipped in front of him, and he impatiently kicked it out of the way, sending it clattering across the hallway as the others fled in terror. _Get out of my way, you stupid little things... Luke, hang on, I'm coming!_

But then the panic suddenly stopped, and he sensed relief, and... _laughter?_ Anakin shook his head, stopping and turning to walk back the way he had come; the little droids desperately tried to get out of his way this time. _I don't even want to know what that was about,_ he grinned, relieved that Luke was all right now. _You're doing great, Luke. I'm proud of you. Now get out of here!_

As he walked back through the hallway, Anakin began to sense that he was being followed. _Oh great. Ben, what the heck are you doing? Go back to your ship._ Anakin took a few random turns, but Ben stayed ten yards behind him, hidden just out of sight. _He's lost,_ Anakin guessed. _All right, I'll lead him back down to the docking bay. Come on, Ben. This way._ Anakin had never actually seen Ben; he was curious to know what Obi-Wan's brother looked like, but if he turned around, who knew what the crazy old guy might do. _Qui-Gon says he's harmless though,_ Anakin reminded himself. _Poor thing probably got lost._

Anakin led him down to the docking bay, and then slipped into the shadows down another hallway, looking back to make sure Ben got safely to his ship. _Holy crap,_ he blinked in surprise, seeing Ben for the first time. _He looks like Obi-Wan with white hair!_ Qui-Gon had said they looked alike, but Anakin wasn't prepared for this. _He's got the same beard, and everything... He's even wearing Obi-Wan's old clothes... Ewww that's kind of creepy,_Anakin shivered.

_Oh no. No no no._ Instead of returning to his ship, Ben was continuing to follow Anakin... And he was now holding the hilt of a lightsaber. At least it looked kind of like a lightsaber... _Ben, where the heck did you get that thing? It's huge!_ Anakin fled down the hallway, not wanting to have to confront the poor old guy; but Ben kept following him.

_OK, this is pissing me off._ Stopping in a shadowy corner, Anakin activated his red lightsaber and simply stood there, lurking in the shadows, waiting for Ben. _Hopefully when he sees me he'll get the picture and leave._ But when Ben came around the corner, he just stood there staring at Anakin with a timid expression.

_Leave! Go away! Big scary monster coming at you!_ Anakin tried to warn him, advancing silently but menacingly upon poor old Ben. He didn't want to draw the attention of the nearby Stormtroopers. _Now would be a good time to run!_ But instead, Ben activated his blue lightsaber. _Crap. That thing actually works? This is not good..._

Then Anakin realized that several Stormtroopers were now watching with great curiosity. _They've never seen a lightsaber duel before,_ he realized._And they're not going to,_ he resolved stubbornly. But the troopers were watching, and there were security cameras everywhere... _Damn, I have to do something,_ Anakin realized. Tarkin could be watching from the command bridge right now.

"I've been waiting for you, Obi-Wan," he said ominously. "We meet again, at last." _Does he really think he's Obi-Wan?_ Anakin wondered again. Now that he was up close, he saw that they didn't look _so_ much alike, even without accounting for the difference in their ages; Obi-Wan was fifty-eight and Ben was much older... _Seventy-three,_ Anakin calculated. But Tarkin and the others might believe that it was Obi-Wan, since they'd never met him before. "The circle is now complete," he continued, in a desperate attempt to scare Ben away. "When I left you, I was but the learner; now I am the master." _That means LEAVE NOW! I don't know what you've been reading in Obi-Wan's diaries, but in case you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly the cute, cuddly little padawan I once was._

But Ben bravely held his ground. "Only a master of evil, Darth," he said calmly.

_Darth?_ Anakin blinked in surprise. In twenty years, no one had ever called him "Darth". _I guess he figures we're on a first-name basis..._ But Anakin was impressed; Obi-Wan's crazy old brother had courage.

Ben struck the first blow, swatting at Anakin pathetically with his blue lightsaber. _OK, this is embarrassing,_ Anakin thought sadly, as he continued to counter the old man's inept, stabbing thrusts. At one point Ben spun around in a dramatic flourish, leaving his back exposed for nearly two seconds before returning dizzily to his previous position; Anakin waited patiently for his blue lightsaber to come around before tapping it away once again.

"Your powers are weak, old man," Anakin said, in a last, desperate attempt to scare Ben off. But Anakin's heart was sinking fast; he could tell this guy was not going to give up.

"You can't win, Darth," Ben replied. "If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine."

_What?_ Suddenly Anakin was alarmed. _Yoda didn't actually teach him how to... No no no,_ Anakin worried. The last thing they all needed was an insane Jedi ghost. _No, he couldn't possibly... He's just bluffing..._

"You should not have come back," Anakin warned him, striking more aggressively at Ben, though he always aimed for his lightsaber rather than for the old man himself. _Don't make me do this. You're my best friend's brother... I can't..._ Anakin hacked angrily at the wall, and sparks flew everywhere. _See that? That's what will happen to you if this keeps up._

But Ben continued to fight, and now all the Stormtroopers were watching. Anakin had sensed Luke and Leia nearby, and now they were running toward the _Millennium Falcon,_ along with Artoo, Threepio, a Wookiee, and another man; probably the ship's captain. _Ben, go now... Please..._

Anakin backed away a little bit, hoping the old man would flee to the ship; but instead, Ben simply smiled, lifting his lightsaber in an attitude of peaceful submission. Anakin could see Luke watching them now. _Oh, don't do this to me,_ he cried miserably. But as he had feared, Ben's presence was growing steadily stronger as he drew upon the Force... _He's doing it,_ Anakin realized tearfully, making the terrible, split-second decision to strike down the poor old man before he could gather enough strength to transcend.

But he was too late. Ben vanished, leaving only his brown cloak and lightsaber behind. "No!" Luke yelled, and Anakin agreed, heartbroken. _I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... I didn't want to do that..._ Now the Stormtroopers were shooting at Luke; Tarkin was watching, and Anakin was supposed to stop them from escaping... Blinking back tears, he prodded Ben's cloak with his foot, pretending to still look for him. _Tarkin will believe this... Maybe..._

_Luke, get out of here! Now!_ Anakin paced around the outer room, as if still looking for Ben; but he could not keep this up forever. Luke was still shooting at the Stormtroopers, covering for the others. _He is angry because of what I did,_ Anakin knew. _Now both of them will hate me forever._ Leia and the captain were yelling for Luke to come, but still he refused.

"Blast the door, kid!" the captain finally said. _Thank you,_ Anakin sighed, slowly advancing upon them as the door shut. _Hopefully it looked like I tried... Not that I care... This day completely sucks,_ he choked miserably.

Then he heard a ghostly voice. _"Run, Luke! Run!"_ Ben said. Anakin blinked in amazement, smiling despite himself. _How did he do that so fast? It took Qui-Gon thirteen years to figure that out!_ A few seconds later Anakin watched from the lookout as the _Millennium Falcon_ blasted away from the Death Star. _You did it, Luke. Good job, son,_ he smiled proudly, sighing with relief.

The Stormtroopers had hidden a homing device aboard the _Millennium Falcon_, and thankfully they now obeyed Anakin's orders to allow the ship to get away. Tarkin would undoubtedly follow Luke and Leia back to the Rebel base; this confrontation was far from over, but at least for the moment Anakin's children were safe.

He bent down now to pick up Ben's crumpled brown cloak and lightsaber. _What will I tell Obi-Wan,_ he wondered sadly. He had never wanted to kill poor old Ben, and now that he had seen him, he knew that Qui-Gon was right: he was harmless, and peaceful, and good; there had even been an air of wisdom in those sad, blue eyes.

Anakin smiled wistfully. _I will tell him that his brother fought well. That he was noble and brave, right up to the end. And that crazy or not, his heart was pure. He has transcended,_ Anakin realized, smiling in amazement. _Ben Kenobi was a true Jedi._


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"We are approaching the planet Yavin," one of Tarkin's officers reported. "The Rebel base is on a moon on the far side. We are preparing to orbit the planet."

Tarkin and his men looked at each other, stunned. "We have found the Rebel base?" the Grand Moff asked, incredulous.

"No, we have not," Anakin reminded him once again, waving his fingers. "The report was incorrect." He had been mind-whammying the entire crew for the past two hours, trying to keep them away from Luke and Leia; but now they were dangerously close to reaching the Rebel base. "Turn the Death Star around immediately," he commanded the captain, praying that this time it would work.

"Wait," Tarkin interrupted, and Anakin sighed. _Not again._ "What is our current status?" Tarkin asked his officer, somewhat confused.

"Orbiting the planet at maximum velocity. The moon with the Rebel base will be in range in thirty minutes."

"We have found the Rebel base?" Tarkin asked, blinking in confusion.

"No, we have not," Anakin said again, waving his fingers. _All right, let's try a different approach._ "This will be a day long remembered," he continued dramatically. "It has seen the end of Kenobi, and it will soon see the end of the Rebellion." Then he turned to Tarkin. "I have located the Rebel base; they are on Dantooine," he informed him, waving his fingers. "We must turn around immediately."

"Excellent, Lord Vader," Tarkin congratulated him. Then he looked a bit confused. "What is our current status?" he asked his officer.

"We are approaching the Rebel base on Yavin IV."

Tarkin blinked in disbelief. "We have found the Rebel base?" he asked, confused.

"No, we have not," Anakin sighed. But it was too late; suddenly the Death Star's alarm sounded.

"Governor Tarkin, we are under attack!" the officer reported. "X-Wing fighters, approaching from Yavin IV!"

"All men to your battle stations!" Tarkin commanded. "Prepare the turbo-lasers!"

Anakin knew the game was over, and the battle had begun. _And now I must decide which side I'm on,_ he realized sadly. _Do I defend the Death Star, and sacrifice my own children to ensure the safety of the galaxy against the alien invaders? Or do I put the entire galaxy at risk and destroy our greatest defensive weapon to save my own children?_ Anakin had learned his lesson the hard way twenty years ago, and knew that he must not let his personal attachments cloud his judgment.

_What would I do, if Luke and Leia were not involved with the Rebellion?_ Anakin's true allegiance was to the New Republic, the top-secret faction that he and Obi-Wan had started fifteen years ago; the faction whose aim was to overthrow Palpatine and restore peace and freedom to the galaxy, while still keeping it safe from the alien invaders.

_The safety of the galaxy is the top priority,_ he knew. If the aliens ever succeeded in their invasion, they would spread a deadly biological toxin that would kill all humans and other life forms. And right now Palpatine and his Storm Troopers were the only ones strong enough to keep them at bay; the Empire must survive, until the Obi clones were ready and the New Republic could take over.

_And what of the Rebel Alliance?_ Anakin shook his head. Their lack of security was appalling; they allowed anyone in who wanted to join. They were full of Imperial spies; all the members had been implanted with slave devices. Each and every one of them was a security risk to the New Republic, and could never be trusted with top-secret information. _They are lost,_ Anakin realized with regret. _I should have destroyed them years ago. They want to overthrow the Empire, but in doing so they will welcome the alien invaders into the galaxy and destroy all life as we know it._

_Until the New Republic is ready, the Empire must remain strong,_ he realized sadly. An alien ship had gotten past the Outer Rim defense and invaded Alderaan just yesterday; if it hadn't been for Tarkin's Death Star, half the galaxy might have been dead by now. _We need this Death Star,_ Anakin knew. _My duty is to defend it at all costs, regardless of my own personal attachments._

_I will uphold my duty, and defend the Death Star,_ Anakin resolved, steeling himself for the upcoming battle. "What is our current status?" he asked one of Tarkin's officers, trying to determine his next course of action.

"We count thirty Rebel ships, Lord Vader," the officer reported. "But they're so small, they're evading our turbo-lasers."

"We'll have to destroy them ship to ship," Anakin decided. "Get the crews to their fighters!" _I should join them,_ Anakin realized. _I'm the best fighter pilot we've got. I shouldn't just be standing around here giving orders. But it's my duty,_ he reminded himself stubbornly.

_No. My duty is to the New Republic, not to Palpatine's stupid chain of command._ The Rebel fighters were entering their final attack formation; Anakin knew there was a very real danger that they might succeed in reaching the central core reactor. "Several fighters have broken off from the main group," he informed two special troopers urgently. "Come with me!"

Moments later, Anakin was in the midst of the battle, commanding from inside his special TIE fighter. "Stay on the leader!" he commanded his wingmen. _And I know who the leader is,_ he realized glumly. But Anakin steeled himself. _My duty is to protect the Death Star. I will not repeat the mistake I made twenty years ago, and put the entire galaxy at risk to save one person that I love._

But as the battle wore on, he and his wingmen worked their way to the front of the Rebel fighters, and Anakin was on Luke's tail. _I might still be able to save him,_ he decided desperately. _If I can just disable his fighter..._ "The Force is strong in this one," he said, stalling for time as he waited for the right moment.

_Yes._ Finally Anakin had a clear shot of Artoo, and he fired at the little astrodroid, disabling Luke's targeting device. _Pull up, Luke. Get out of here!_ But Luke kept going, even without his instruments. Anakin smiled proudly despite himself. _He is an amazing pilot,_ he realized. _OK, if I just take off one of his wings..._

"I have you now," Anakin said, mostly for the benefit of his own wingmen, as he took another shot at Luke, attempting to disable his fighter just enough to make his son pull up. Then Anakin's TIE fighter shuddered as he heard an explosion behind him.

"What?" Anakin looked back to see both of his wingmen exploding against the walls of the tunnel. _What the hell hit them?_ He vaguely caught sight of the _Millennium Falcon_ as it suddenly came out of hyperspace, and then he was spinning out of control... The swirl of stars gave way to a green forest, but the trees were spinning around and approaching much too fast...

And then there was darkness.

A _lot_ of darkness.

And pain.

A _lot_ of pain.

But somehow, four days later, a very bloody and somewhat disoriented Anakin crawled out from the forest on Yavin IV, then stumbled painfully toward the junkyard at the edge of the Rebel base...

* * *

><p>"Hey, look! A Gong-Gong droid!" Luke grinned in delight, as a primitive-looking rectangular droid shuffled towards them in the hallway. "I had one of those as a kid!" Han rolled his eyes in disgust. <em>Is this kid ever going to grow up?<em> He and Chewie shared a private laugh as they followed behind Luke and Leia, on their way to a security meeting.

"I had one too!" Leia exclaimed, smiling at Luke; Han tried not to be sick. "Not for long though," she confessed regretfully. "It ran away a few days after I got it, and I never saw it again," she explained sadly.

"Mine did too!" Luke agreed. "I was going to open it up and see if I could make some modifications; I went to get my tool kit, and when I came back it was gone," he sighed. Then he smiled, going up to the droid. "Oh, man, I haven't seen one of these in years! This one looks in pretty bad shape," he mused, knocking on the side of it. "It's a little wobbly... Maybe I can fix that," he decided. "Come on, little fella; we'll fix you up," he offered; but the droid quickly waddled away, and Luke sighed. "Yeah, that's just what mine did... Han, did you ever have a Gong-Gong droid?" he asked cheerfully.

"Uh, no," Han answered. _What the hell is a Gong-Gong droid?_ he wondered once again, glancing back at it. _I don't get it. It's just a big walking trash can._ It was just another one of the many things that Luke and Leia had in common... Han sighed, frustrated. _Why am I still here,_ he asked himself once again. _I meant to get out of here days ago._

But then Leia gave him a little shy smile, and he was reminded of why he had been unable to leave. _Don't be stupid,_ he told himself. _She's a Princess. It'll never happen. Besides, she's obviously smitten with Flyboy here..._ Han looked away, angry with himself for feeling the way he did, while the two avid Gong-Gong droid enthusiasts continued their discussion.

"I never knew anyone else who had one," Leia was saying now, flirting shamelessly with Luke. "I thought I was the only - "

She was interrupted by the sound of shouting, followed by blaster fire. "It's coming from the docking bay!" Han yelled urgently, drawing his blaster and running down the hallway toward the exit as the main alarm sounded.

"Attention all personnel," a voice over the intercom announced. "There has been an unauthorized launch in the main docking bay. All available fighter pilots, report to your stations immediately!"

"Come on, Chewie," Han yelled, running up the ramp of the Millennium Falcon and starting it up as Chewie closed the hatch. Luke had jumped into his X-wing too, and a minute later half the Rebel fleet was deployed, chasing after the stolen X-wing. Han was at the front of the fleet, with Chewie firing nonstop, but the pilot engaged in the craziest evasive maneuvers Han had ever seen; and then he was gone, vanished into hyperspace.

"We lost him," Han admitted ruefully to Leia, after they returned to the docking bay. "Whoever he was, he was good. I've never seen flying like that in my life," he added, shaking his head. "It definitely wasn't one of our pilots," he finished reluctantly.

Leia's brown eyes were filled with alarm. "It won't be long before the Empire finds us again," she said. "We'd better evacuate now."

Han sighed heavily, watching as the Princess calmly but quickly went about organizing the evacuation procedure. _I'll stick around until they get safely to their next location,_ he decided, gazing at Leia wistfully. _And then I'm out of here._

* * *

><p>Anakin closed his eyes in exhaustion as he slumped back against the seat of his stolen X-wing fighter. <em>I feel like crap,<em> he sighed weakly. _What the hell happened?_ Based on the fact that the Rebel base still existed, and its residents all seemed ridiculously happy, Anakin guessed that the Death Star had been destroyed.

_And what of the Executor?_ he wondered. _How will I find it now?_ He didn't dare use the radio aboard the rebel X-wing; in fact, he knew he had to find an alternative means of transportation quickly, before he was tracked again. He needed to get back to the Executor immediately; Hideous would be expecting an update.

_He will not be pleased,_ Anakin sighed ruefully. He tried to figure out what he would say to the Emperor, but then he realized he had no idea what had actually happened himself. Besides, his head hurt too much right now...

_Screw it,_ Anakin decided, too exhausted to care any more. _I'm taking a vacation._ Squinting at the controls through his concussion-induced haze, he set the coordinates for a small, out-of the way space station which would be the first of many stops on his ridiculously complicated journey to regroup with Obi-Wan and Padme at the top-secret base of the New Republic.

_I'm going home,_ he sighed, leaning back once again and smiling at the thought of seeing Padme and the children again. Then he felt happy tears spring to his eyes as he recalled his latest encounter in the hallway of the Rebel base. _They remember me,_ he cried happily. _After all these years, they still remember their visits from Gong-Gong..._

_They don't entirely hate me,_ he consoled himself hopefully. But more importantly, they were still alive, and well... _I tried to save the Death Star,_Anakin told himself. _I really tried. It's not my fault..._ But he smiled proudly, realizing that Luke and Leia had accomplished what no Rebel had in twenty years.

_They've made a giant mess of things,_ Anakin sighed ruefully, trying not to think about the damage control he would have to do once he returned to the Executor. _Obi-Wan will know what to do,_ he consoled himself. _He always knows what to do. But I'm proud of them,_ Anakin smiled again, impressed by how well his children had handled themselves. _And Padme will be too._


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"Ani!" Padme cried happily, as she ran to her husband and embraced him, welcoming him home. "I didn't expect you back so soon!" She and the others had been so busy the past five days, dealing with the aftermath of the destruction of Alderaan; they hadn't heard from Anakin since the incident, and figured he must be equally swamped with business on his end. But it was so wonderful to see him; a moment ago Padme had received word that he had arrived, and she had run straight to the devaderizing chamber to meet him.

"Padme," Anakin said, his robotic voice conveying no emotion. "Do you still love me, even like this?"

Padme smiled happily; they went through this routine every time. "Of course I do, Ani," she said, hugging him once again.

Then Gong-Gong's head popped off, and Darth Vader emerged, his hulking black form towering above her. "Do you still love me, even like this?" Anakin asked again, his voice still emotionless and inhuman.

"Yes," Padme grinned happily, hugging his big, blinking armored chest and kissing his cute little button nose as he embraced her lovingly. Then she started unscrewing the helmet, eager to get to her favorite part of their routine.

Anakin switched off the ventilator on his chestplate as Padme removed the back of his helmet, stroking his shaggy golden-brown hair as Anakin removed the mask. "Do you still love me, even like this?" Anakin asked softly, and this time his voice sounded shy and somewhat apologetic. Padme smiled blissfully, looking at his adorable if somewhat scarred face...

"Ahhhh!" she exclaimed, alarmed. "Ani, you look awful!"

Anakin cringed apologetically. "Yeah, it's been kind of a rough week," he admitted ruefully, climbing out of the trash can and limping awkwardly toward the devaderizing station. He slumped down into the chair, closing his eyes with exhaustion. "I shouldn't be here... I just couldn't..." Then he blinked, remembering. "You guys evacuated Alderaan?" he asked anxiously.

"We did what we could," Padme told him regretfully. "Bail and his family are safe; he sent out a planet-wide evacuation alarm the moment he heard of the threat, and we think about twenty thousand people managed to escape; we all ran shuttles back and forth from the nearby spaceports, but..." she sighed sadly, shaking her head. "A lot of people didn't make it," she told him quietly.

Then she looked up at Anakin with concern. "Ani, are you sure you're all right? What happened?" she asked, peering worriedly at his two black eyes and the fresh set of bloody wounds that graced his already-scarred face.

"Uh... I crashed," Anakin admitted tiredly, running a gloved hand through his hair as Padme bent down to pull off one of his boots, helping him out of the Vader suit.

"You crashed?" Padme asked in disbelief, immediately concerned. "Ani, what happ - Aaaahhhh!" she exclaimed, as she pulled off his boot and half his leg came with it, leaving a bunch of exposed wires and metal parts where his knee should have been.

Anakin blinked in surprise, then sighed ruefully. "Yeah, I knew something wasn't right there," he admitted, peering at the mass of singed wires coming out of his leg. "I can fix it... I think," he decided, not terribly concerned. "So how are the kids?" he asked, grinning happily.

"They're fine," Padme said, still worried about her husband's beat-up appearance. "Ani, quit changing the subject; what happened?"

Anakin shook his head regretfully. "It's a long story," he sighed, as Padme pulled off his other boot. He sounded very tired. "I guess you didn't hear: we lost the Death Star," he told her sadly.

Padme stared at him, alarmed. "You lost the - oh no," she said, deeply concerned. Then she hugged him, tears in her eyes as she tried to find a relatively unwounded part of his face to kiss. "I'm so glad you're all right," she cried, laying her head on his heavily-armored shoulder and clinging to him desperately as he held her in his arms.

"Yeah, I'm all right," he assured her gently, kissing her on the forehead; the healing scab on his lower lip felt scratchy against her skin, and Padme smiled wistfully, grateful that it wasn't any worse. She stroked his soft, curly hair now, smiling as she gazed into his deep blue eyes. He was still beautiful, and the latest scars were not bad; a little Bacta treatment and he'd be good as new, more or less...

But the news about the Death Star was disturbing. "What happened to the Death Star?" she asked, deeply concerned, as she helped him out of his armor.

Anakin laughed ruefully, grinning despite himself. "You won't believe this," he said, with a mischievous gleam in his blue eyes. Then he sighed, shaking his head. "The Rebels blew it up," he told her quietly.

Padme nodded; it was surprising that they had actually succeeded, but not entirely unexpected. Then she looked at him quizzically. "And this is funny to you?" she asked, trying to understand his somewhat amused expression.

"No," he sighed sadly. "It's not funny at all. It's terrible," he said, his voice catching a little bit. "Padme," he said quietly, looking at her with a pained expression; then he looked down again, shaking his head. "I'll tell you later," he whispered miserably.

"No," Padme said, gently but firmly. "You'll tell me now." Anakin was always trying to protect her from the harsh reality of his job, but it wasn't good for him; she worried about him, keeping everything inside like that. She knew that Anakin's life aboard the Executor was a nightmare; the least she could do was to listen, and share his pain. Anakin was crying now, holding Padme desperately as she kissed him on the forehead, trying to console him. "Ani, what has happened?" she asked gently.

He looked down, unable to meet her gaze. "Luke and Leia," he began, then bit his scabbed lip, choking miserably.

"What?" Padme asked, alarmed. "Ani, what's happened?" she asked again, tears filling her eyes.

"They... They've joined the Rebellion," Anakin told her sadly, shaking his head. Then he grinned, despite his tears. "I saw them, Padme. They're beautiful. Both of them. And they were so brave," he smiled wistfully, a glimmer of pride in his blue eyes.

"Are they all right?" Padme asked anxiously; her first concern was for her children's safety.

Anakin nodded. "Yeah," he grinned. "They're all right. Better than me," he laughed ruefully. Then he shook his head, smiling happily. "They did it, Padme. They were amazing. Leia stole the plans to the Death Star, and Luke blew it up. No Rebel has been able to do that in twenty years," he smiled proudly. Then he sighed ruefully, looking down. "I tried to stop them," he cringed apologetically.

Padme nodded, smiling as she stroked his hair. "Well I'm glad they're all right," she said gently. Then she realized what that meant. "They've - do you think they've been implanted with slave devices?" she asked, alarmed.

Anakin shrugged, defeated. "I don't know," he admitted quietly. "I'll try to find out, when I get back. Tarkin was the one in charge of all that, and now - " he broke off, shaking his head. "All of that information was in the Death Star's main computer," he told her quietly. "I never really paid much attention to it," he admitted. "I didn't think they could actually - " he sighed again, shrugging.

"It's all right," Padme told him gently. "It will be all right. Luke and Leia are safe for the moment; it sounds like they're quite capable of taking care of themselves," she smiled ruefully, trying to console her husband. "But this is grave news," she said, helping Anakin out of his padded suit. "Obi-Wan will need to hear of this right away."

"Where is he?" Anakin asked, wincing slightly as Padme pulled off his black shirt.

"He and Bail are still dealing with the Alderaan refugees," Padme told him. "We're trying to find shelter for them... Ani, you are a mess," she said gently, seeing the bluish-purple bruises all over his rib cage.

"Yeah, I know," he admitted, wincing again as he sat up and began pulling off his padded black pants. "I'm all right," he shrugged. But he was sad about something, Padme could tell.

"Ani, what is it?" she asked him gently, pulling off his pants. Then she began to detach his mangled right leg as Anakin worked on the left. Vader's mechanical limbs were monstrously huge, and Anakin had a normal-sized set that he wore when he came home to visit his family. He refused to allow his children to see him before he had been completely devaderized.

Anakin hung his head, sighing as he undid the screws that held his leg on. "I had to kill someone," he admitted quietly. "A lot of people, actually," he conceded sadly. "But - " His voice caught in his throat, and tears sprang to his eyes. "How can you even look at me?" he choked miserably, squeezing his eyes shut as a tear escaped down his cheek.

"Oh, Ani," Padme cried, hugging him, as he clung to her desperately, weeping. "Because I love you, that's why," she smiled tenderly, kissing his battle-scarred cheek and stroking his hair lovingly. "Ani, if this is getting to be too much for you, you can leave. You can come home; you don't have to do this," she reminded him again, glancing at the pile of Vader clothes on the floor. "Obi-Wan will understand. We all worry about you," she cried, tears springing to her eyes. "You don't have to do this, sweety," she said gently.

"Yes, I do," Anakin insisted miserably. "Especially now that Leia and Luke are involved. I have to be there, I have to - " he shook his head tearfully. "I'm the one that got us all into this, Padme," he said sadly. "And I will do my part, to get us out," he finished, with stubborn resolve. "But I need a vacation, just for a couple days," he conceded quietly, tears in his eyes.

"Good," Padme smiled tenderly, stroking his hair. "I'm glad you're home, sweety," she said simply, kissing him on the temple. She decided not to push him on the other matter for the moment; he said he had killed someone, but right now Anakin needed a loving welcome, not an interrogation. "Come on," she said gently, pulling off Vader's monstrous (and now severely damaged) leg and proceeding to attach Anakin's smaller, more graceful one. "The kids are eager to see you," she smiled encouragingly. "We'd better hurry this up."

Ten minutes later the devaderization process was complete, and Padme gazed at her husband in admiration, smiling blissfully. He was so handsome in his Jedi outfit; she hugged him happily, kissing him again, and he smiled gratefully. Despite the horrors of his job, Ani hardly seemed to age at all; he was forty-two now, and he had a few little lines around his eyes, but there wasn't even a hint of grey in his shaggy golden-brown hair. The old Mustafar scars were now so familiar that Padme didn't even see them any more; but she had to admit that his two black eyes and the latest set of healing red scabs didn't do anything for his appearance.

"Come on," she said, taking his graceful, black-gloved hand and leading the way out the door. "Let's go see the kids." She gave him an encouraging smile, and Anakin grinned happily, putting his arm around her and kissing her spontaneously on the temple as they walked together through the hallway of the secret base. They had to make their way slowly, with frequent rest stops; Anakin's lungs were not what they once were, but it meant a lot to him to not have to wear breathing apparatus all the time. Padme smiled blissfully, putting an arm around his waist and enjoying this treasured moment alone with her husband as they headed home to their children.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

_What will I tell Padme,_ Obi-Wan asked himself once again, grief-stricken, as he walked through the hallway of the secret New Republic base on his way to the Skywalker residence. _And the children,_ he realized, tears springing to his eyes.

He had returned as soon as he'd heard the terrible news. Bail Organa had received word from one of his contacts in the Senate that the Death Star had been destroyed, and that all aboard had been killed, including Grand Moff Tarkin and Lord Darth Vader. The report had not yet reached the mainstream news media, but it would only be a matter of time before it got out, and Obi-Wan did not want Padme to learn of her husband's death from a sensationalistic holo-broadcast.

_How could I not have sensed it?_ he wondered again, still feeling sick from the shock and grief of the news. He had been so busy dealing with the Alderaan refugees these past few days; he hadn't heard from Anakin, but that was completely normal. _And what was he doing aboard the Death Star?_His post was aboard the _Executor;_ he shouldn't have even been there...

Obi-Wan composed himself as he approached Padme's residence. _I must be strong for her,_ he reminded himself. But as he stood on the doorstep and felt the happiness emanating from their home, he wept bitterly. _I can't do this,_ he realized, hanging his head. _My own grief is still too strong._ The news obviously hadn't reached the media yet; Obi-Wan turned to leave, deciding to tell Padme in the morning.

_I will let them have one last happy evening together,_ he resolved, smiling despite his tears as he felt the warmth and closeness of their family, and the laughter of the children... And something else... _Anakin?_ Obi-Wan blinked in disbelief, sensing Anakin's presence mixed in with the others.

_He has transcended,_ Obi-Wan realized suddenly, smiling in amazement. Qui-Gon had taught them all how to do it; he said it wasn't difficult if you knew what you were doing, and if done properly, the transformation would be nearly immediate. _He did it!_ Obi-Wan realized proudly, though his heart still ached terribly. Qui-Gon's presence had been a comfort these past twenty years, but still it wasn't the same as when he had been alive. There was a sense of detachment and resignation, where once there had been closeness and life.

_Do they see him?_ Obi-Wan wondered. The feelings he sensed inside the Skywalker residence were happy and carefree, without a hint of sadness or grief. _No,_ he decided. _They do not know yet. But Anakin is with them..._ Obi-Wan smiled regretfully as he turned to leave. _I won't destroy this happy moment for them. I will let Anakin come to me when he is ready..._

But he did not make it very far before he sensed Anakin's presence behind him, and then heard his voice. "Obi-Wan," Anakin said, sounding just as he always had in life.

Obi-Wan smiled tearfully, turning to face his old friend. _Is he visible yet, or is it just the voice?_ he wondered. Then he stared in alarm as he saw Anakin's two black eyes and the fresh wounds on his face. _Oh dear,_ he thought sadly. _He was supposed to come back with fewer injuries, not more..._Anakin was looking at him with a concerned expression now, and Obi-Wan smiled warmly, doing his best to mask his grief. "Hello, Anakin," he said simply, with a respectful bow.

"Hi," Anakin replied uncertainly, looking slightly baffled as he peered at Obi-Wan with concern. "Obi-Wan, are you all right?" he asked, sensing his grief. "What's happened?" he asked, alarmed.

_He doesn't know,_ Obi-Wan realized sadly. _He doesn't know he's dead._ That would explain the injuries, and... _Wait a minute,_ Obi-Wan realized suddenly. _Why is there no blue shimmer...?_ Reaching out hesitantly, he poked Anakin experimentally in the chest.

* * *

><p><em>What the hell?<em> Anakin wondered, looking down at his chest as Obi-Wan poked him. _Has he gone completely mad?_ He had sensed Obi-Wan's presence on his doorstep a moment earlier, and had been concerned by his master's obvious grief and sadness; but now Anakin was growing quickly alarmed._Tell me you haven't gotten into Yoda's mushrooms..._

"Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked uncertainly, his clear blue eyes registering confusion as he blinked at Anakin in surprise. _Oh no,_ Anakin realized, grief-stricken. _It's happening to Obi-Wan too._ He knew that insanity ran in Obi-Wan's family, but thus far his master had shown no signs of it himself. _He's too young to be going senile,_ Anakin thought anxiously. Obi-Wan was fifty-eight now; his face was a bit careworn, and his beard was streaked with patches of silver, though his hair was still mostly reddish-brown, but still he was far too young to be suffering the ravages of old age. _He's going crazy, just like his brothers,_ Anakin realized sadly.

Anakin smiled, trying to mask his grief and concern. "Yes, Master, it's me," Anakin reassured him. _At least he still recognizes me._ "Would you like to come in for some tea?" he asked hopefully.

"Tea?" Obi-Wan repeated stupidly, still staring at Anakin; Anakin was about to explain what tea was, when suddenly his master broke into a relieved grin, hugging him fiercely. _Uh... Okay,_ Anakin blinked, hugging his master and going along with it. "Anakin, what are you doing here?" Obi-Wan asked, still smiling happily. "I thought you were aboard the Death Star; I just heard the news," he added anxiously, his blue eyes filled with concern. "Are you all right? You look terrible," he remarked, letting go of Anakin and continuing down the forest path toward his own lakeside cottage.

_I guess that's a no on the tea,_ Anakin decided, following him; at least his wits seemed to have returned for the moment. "I'm fine," Anakin assured him, as they continued toward Obi-Wan's house. All of the residences were connected through underground tunnels, but on the surface, the secret base of the New Republic simply looked like a collection of quaint cottages overlooking a small lake.

"Anakin, what happened?" Obi-Wan asked again. "Is it true that the Death Star has been destroyed?"

"Yes," Anakin confirmed, thankful that his master seemed to be himself again. "The Rebels stole the technical readouts, and managed to attack the central reactor with a small fleet of X-wing fighters," he explained, realizing how pathetic that sounded. _If I can't justify my failure to Obi-Wan, how will I ever explain it to Hideous..._

"Well that is unfortunate," Obi-Wan sighed regretfully, hiking up the path toward his cottage. _Not so fast, Obi-Wan. I can't breathe,_ Anakin panted, struggling to keep up with his master. "But I'm glad you're all right," he added to Anakin. Then he squinted at him quizzically. "What are you doing here, Anakin? The Emperor thinks you're dead; the news isn't out yet but Bail heard the preliminary reports from his contacts in the Senate," Obi-Wan told him. "I was just coming to tell Padme the news," he added reproachfully.

_Oh,_ Anakin realized suddenly. _Well that's not good._ "Hideous thinks I'm dead?" he asked, blinking. Then he smiled, realizing the implications. _This is great! I don't have to go back!_ Then he remembered Luke and Leia. _Oh crap..._

"Yes," Obi-Wan said, continuing along the path at an annoyingly brisk pace. _Come on, Obi-Wan. You know I can't breathe. Slow down,_ Anakin grumbled to himself, panting. "Anakin, this is serious," Obi-Wan insisted. "I'm relieved you're all right - believe me, I am," he said softly, his voice betraying his emotion. "But you shouldn't be here," he reminded Anakin gently. "Why haven't you reported back to the Emperor yet?" he asked, trying to understand.

Anakin shook his head, shrugging apologetically. "I don't know," he admitted, struggling to keep up with Obi-Wan. "I don't know what I'm going to tell him... It's complicated," he apologized, panting. "I'll go back - tomorrow," he gasped, "and then - " Anakin's head swam dizzily, and he sat down on a fallen log to catch his breath, his lungs searing with pain. "Sorry," he apologized.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan said with gentle concern, sitting next to him on the log. "Your breathing has gotten worse," he remarked quietly.

"I'm fine," Anakin insisted, though he felt in danger of fainting. _Leave me alone, Obi-Wan. You're not my mother._ "It's just been a rough week," he sighed. "I crashed in my TIE fighter, in the middle of this giant forest; it took me four days to get out of there," he explained ruefully. But he knew none of that had anything to do with his reason for abandoning his post.

"Anakin, what are you not telling me?" Obi-Wan asked, his voice gentle yet firm. Anakin closed his eyes, hanging his head; he had not been looking forward to this discussion.

"Luke and Leia," he admitted quietly. "They've joined the Rebellion."

Obi-Wan's expression was alarmed. "Luke and Leia...? Oh dear," he sighed, dismayed by the news. "This is not good," he agreed, shaking his head sadly. Then he looked at Anakin regretfully. "That is why they were able to destroy the Death Star," he realized quietly. "You didn't stop them."

"I tried," Anakin insisted. "Master, I promise you, I did everything I could," he pleaded miserably. _I killed your brother._

"Then why are you here, instead of destroying the Rebel base?" Obi-Wan pointed out gently.

Anakin hung his head; he knew Obi-Wan was right. "I can't do it," he choked sadly. "Please, don't make me do it, Obi-Wan," he begged desperately, squeezing his eyes shut.

"I won't," Obi-Wan said quietly. "Anakin, I'm sorry to hear about Luke and Leia," he said sincerely. "But this is over now. You're not going back," he informed him. "I will not put you in a position where you are forced to hunt down your own children. You're done with that," he decided resolutely. "Palpatine thinks you're dead anyway. It's over."

"No," Anakin pleaded. "I need to be there, now more than ever. I'll go back tomorrow; I can fix this," he insisted, though he realized he had no idea how. "I have to be there, Master. We have no other link to the Emperor," Anakin realized, alarmed. "I'm sorry, Master. It's true, I let my personal attachments get in the way, but I won't - " he broke off, hanging his head. _Yes I will,_ he realized sadly. _I will let this happen again._ "I'm sorry," he apologized miserably. "I don't know what to do anymore."

"It's all right, Anakin," Obi-Wan said gently. Then he sighed. "I'm not sure what to do either," he admitted. "You're right; it's been a rough week," he laughed ruefully, shaking his head. "And this doesn't have to be decided right away," he resolved. "Let's take another day or so to think about it, and talk to the others, and we'll see..." Then he looked at Anakin regretfully.

"Anakin," he continued hesitantly. "This is not just about the Death Star, or Luke and Leia," he said quietly. "You're not well, Anakin. Padme and I have been worried about you for months now. Your breathing is getting worse every time we see you. It used to get better after a few days off the ventilator, but now..." Obi-Wan shook his head sadly. "Anakin, you need a break. You were right to come here. This stress is killing you. It's for the best," he conceded.

Anakin slumped forward, holding his head in his hands. "I'm all right," he insisted again. _Don't feel sorry for me, Obi-Wan. This is my own fault. And you don't know what I did to Ben..._

"No, you're not," Obi-Wan said sadly. "Anakin, you didn't even make it halfway up the hill. Being on that ventilator all the time is not good for you," he pleaded. "You know it might get better if you took some time off," he reminded him quietly.

"It doesn't matter," Anakin said stubbornly. "I'm fine; I can go back."

"We'll see," Obi-Wan agreed. "But in the meantime I'm putting you on medical leave for at least a week, while we figure all of this out," he decided. "And it _does_ matter," he added gently. "It matters to Padme, and it matters to your children... And it matters to me," he told him, with a sad smile. "Anakin, I thought you were dead," he admitted painfully. "It was awful. I didn't know what I was going to - " he broke off, shaking his head. "Just take the week off, all right?" he sighed, patting him on the shoulder. "And then we'll see."

"All right," Anakin agreed. "But I'm fine, Master; don't worry," he insisted, embarrassed and ashamed by Obi-Wan's concern for him. "Master," he said quietly. "There's something else I haven't told you."

"What's that?" Obi-Wan asked.

Anakin shook his head sadly. "It's about Ben," he began apologetically. "He... I think he was teaching Luke, somehow... I don't know," he said. "But he... They came aboard the Death Star, and..." Anakin closed his eyes as he felt the tears come. "I'm sorry," he cried miserably. "I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"Anakin, what happened?" Obi-Wan asked, concerned. "He's dead?" Anakin nodded miserably, and Obi-Wan sighed. "You did what you had to do, Anakin," he said quietly, nodding sadly. "How did it happen?"

Anakin sighed regretfully. "He picked a fight with me," he said, with a rueful, somewhat amused smile. "I didn't want to fight him, believe me, I didn't," Anakin said. "And it wasn't pretty, but... He did his best," Anakin smiled wistfully. "He was very brave. And not entirely terrible," he conceded. "I don't know what Yoda taught him, but somehow he'd built himself a lightsaber, and he decided to challenge me to a duel... Called me 'Darth'," Anakin grinned, and Obi-Wan laughed despite himself.

Then Anakin shook his head sadly. "He did it to save Luke," he told Obi-Wan. "He sacrificed himself so they could get away." Then he smiled in admiration. "Obi-Wan, he transcended. Disappeared... Poof... Gone," he told him proudly. "I've never seen anything like it. He wasn't much of a fighter, but... He was a true Jedi," Anakin finished proudly. "Yoda taught him well."

"He transcended?" Obi-Wan asked, incredulous. "My crazy old brother transcended?"

"Yeah," Anakin grinned, shaking his head. "It was amazing! I think he's still hanging around with Luke now," he added. "But I'm not worried. He had a good heart, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan nodded, smiling tearfully. "I'm glad," he said simply. Then he sighed. "I wonder whatever became of Ken..."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

_Somewhere in the galaxy, in the basement of an abandoned factory..._

_"Ken,"_ came a familiar voice.

_I'm not listening,_ Ken told himself again stubbornly. He'd been hearing voices in his head all his life; the doctors at the prison had told him to just ignore them. It was the voices that had told him to light himself on fire one time when he was younger, and he had borne the scars of his mistake for the rest of his life.

_"Ken,"_ his brother's voice said again. _"Ken, you must listen to me. You shouldn't lock yourself up like this. It's not healthy,"_ he pleaded. _"You need to get out, and do something. Life is precious, Ken. Don't waste it hiding underground for another ten years."_

"Go away!" Ken yelled, covering his ears.

_"Ken,_ Ben's voice said sadly, _"If you tell me to go away, I will lose contact forever. I only want to help you, Ken,"_ he pleaded.

"No!" Ken cried. "Go away!"

_"Very well,"_ Ben said sadly. _"Farewell, little brother. And may the Force be with you."_

Ken looked around tentatively, taking his hands off his ears. _Is he gone?_ Several seconds passed, and he didn't hear any voices. _Good,_ he decided, blinking. But Ken was upset now. And he had a special place where he went when he was upset. Getting up, he shuffled painfully through the long, winding hallways toward his secret place.

_"No more will I teach you,"_ came another voice from his memory. _"Too much anger in you, there is. Away with you!"_

"No," Ken wept sadly, shuffling along faster, ignoring the pain in his arthritic knees.

_"Freak!"_ came another voice, taunting. _"Monster!"_

"No," Ken cried, trying to escape the voices; but as he neared the glass doorway at the end of the hall, he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the light, and he knew that it was true. Standing still, he forced himself to look at his own reflection.

_I am a monster,_ he realized sadly. His skin was ghastly white, twisted and grotesque from the burn scars he had inflicted upon himself so many years ago. Ken was seventy years old now, but his face was ageless, in an inhuman sort of way; his burned skin did not wrinkle as most people's did.

And then there were the _other_ scars; the ones that he did not remember getting. His father had given them to him as a child, but he had no memory of how it had happened. There was a deep red gash across his left cheek, and another that tore through the top of his bald skull, from his forehead down to the back of his head.

Ken hadn't left the abandoned factory in ten years. The last time he had tried to go out, people had screamed in terror at his appearance, and so he had shut himself up. _They can't laugh at me if they don't see me,_ he consoled himself. He had learned how to get everything he needed from the computer. Ken was good with computers, and electronics; he had learned in prison, and it was the one thing he had always excelled at. Aside from destroying things, of course... But Ken did not like to think about that.

Entering through the glass door, he continued his painful, shuffling journey onward to his special place. It was hidden deep inside the abandoned factory; no one else could ever find it. It was the one place where Ken felt safe, and happy. Finally he reached another doorway, which he unlocked with his special key; and then he entered his secret shrine.

Ken smiled as he looked around his secret room. The walls were plastered with pictures and carefully-printed copies of news reports he had been collecting for the past ten years. _My hero,_ he thought, awestruck by the magnificence of his idol. And there in the center of the room, carefully protected in its glass case, was his greatest work of art: a perfect replica of his hero's suit, painstakingly recreated from pictures and information he had found on the computer.

But he had never tried it on; it was far too big for Ken. His hero was a giant, and Ken was only a normal-sized man. But he had a plan to overcome that problem. All it took was courage, he knew. And so far, he had not gotten up the courage to do it.

Sighing, Ken sat at his computer now, hoping to find more news of his hero. There had been nothing for several days now, and it saddened him. He had lovingly followed his hero's activities for the past ten years, and he had researched his life story, learning every detail he could about the man's history. Ken knew things about his hero that no one else did. It was all there in the computer, if you looked hard enough.

Sadly, once again there was no news about his hero today. But Ken had other sources of information, besides the mainstream news media. Checking another source, he gasped in horror. _No,_ he cried, grief-stricken. _No! It can't be possible! It's not true!_ Tears filled his eyes as he read the terrible news. His hero had been killed.

"Noooooooo!" he cried again, overcome with pain and grief. How could he go on, without his hero to guide him, to inspire him, to give him a reason for living? Only his hero knew what it was like to feel such pain, to be a monster... No one else knew... _No one..._

_He can't be dead,_ Ken wept miserably. _It's not possible. He can't die!_ Tears streamed down his face and his chin trembled as he bit his lip, trying to comprehend what had happened. But then he knew what he must do.

_He will live on,_ Ken decided nobly. _I will honor his memory, and he will live on. He can't die._ Getting painfully to his feet, he shuffled over to another glass case; one whose contents he had wistfully contemplated every day, but had left untouched for so many years.

Inside the glass case were four mechanical limbs, perfectly constructed to the right proportions. Ken had learned how to build them from the computer, and had learned how to attach them as well. The procedure would only take a few hours; all it took was courage...

And then he would be free of his painful, arthritic knees. He would be strong again. Just like his hero. He already possessed his hero's _other_ talents; he had learned so much from Yoda, and had worked so hard, before the cruel, uncaring Jedi Master had cast him out. _Strong in the Dark side, you are,_ he had said, driving poor Ken away from his beloved swamp.

_All I need is courage,_ he told himself. _Just a few moments of courage, and then my hero will live on, through me._ His hero deserved it, he knew. _He was strong, and brave, and courageous,_ Ken wept, still grieving over his loss. _And I will be too,_ he resolved, steeling himself for what he must do.

Taking a deep breath, Ken removed his specially-constructed red lightsaber from his belt. _I will be strong. For him._ Summoning his courage, Ken swung the lightsaber around in one swift stroke, aiming for his left thigh.

* * *

><p>Lily Skywalker sat in her daddy's lap, playing with her pretty shell necklace as her father watched the news. Her brothers had all gone out to play with some of the Obi clones, but Lily didn't feel like playing with them; it was hard being the youngest, and the only girl.<p>

Besides, she was glad to spend some time with her daddy, before he had to go back to work. She wasn't sure where he worked; all she knew was that her daddy's job was top secret, and that he was very important to the New Republic. Sometimes he couldn't come home for weeks and weeks, and Lily always missed him terribly.

She looked up at him now, smiling happily. Lily had been upset and frightened when she first saw him five days ago; he'd had terrible black eyes and his scars were all _wrong._ But now his eyes were better, just a little bluish underneath, and the red scars were healing since he'd had his Bacta treatment. Daddy looked more like himself again now, and Lily smiled in relief.

Nobody really knew how he'd gotten his _other_ scars. Her mommy said he got hurt in the Clone wars; that was all she knew. She had asked Master Obi-Wan about it one time, and he had told her that her daddy had been very brave, and fought well. But no one seemed to know exactly what had happened to him.

Seeing her gazing up at him, her daddy smiled at her now. "That's a pretty necklace," he said cheerfully, admiring the little string of shells she wore around her neck. "Where did you get that?" he asked, petting her long, dark hair affectionately.

"OB-1 made it for me, for my birthday," she told him. Lily had turned seven last month, and her daddy had come home for the party; but OB-1 hadn't finished her present on time, and he'd only just given it to her yesterday.

"Master Obi-Wan made that for you?" her father asked, smiling in surprise. "That was nice of him," he said.

Lily giggled. "No, not _Master_ Obi-Wan," she corrected her father. "_Clone_ OB-1," she smiled happily. OB-1 was her favorite of all the Obi clones. He was so adorable, and sweet... Not like her _own_ brothers, Lily decided, wrinkling her nose.

But suddenly her father seemed concerned. "Clone OB-1 made you a necklace?" he asked, looking at it worriedly.

"Yes," Lily said, wondering if that was wrong somehow. "Don't you like it?"

Her father stared at it for a moment; his face was blank, but Lily sensed that he was surprised, and a little worried, and something else... _He thinks it's funny,_ she realized. Not the necklace itself, but... Lily couldn't quite tell. "Of course; it's very pretty," her daddy agreed, smiling. "Did any of the other Obi clones make you anything?"

"No," Lily said cheerfully. "Just OB-1." She didn't mind; it wasn't like she expected five thousand presents anyway.

Her father nodded, and Lily still felt his concern, but he smiled at her cheerfully. "Well that was really nice of him," he said simply, admiring her shell necklace. "It's beautiful," he told her, kissing her playfully on the forehead, and Lily smiled happily.

But then something on the news caught their attention: a big, scary black monster, with a cape and helmet, standing next to Emperor Palpatine. The Emperor was giving him a medal; Lily listened to the news announcer, though she didn't quite understand what he was saying.

_"Emperor Palpatine has awarded a special medal of recognition to Lord Darth Vader, for his heroic invasion of the secret Rebel base on Yavin IV this morning. This is the first time in twenty years that a Rebel base has been located; unfortunately it was abandoned, but nonetheless Lord Vader has made a promising breakthrough in the quest to secure the galaxy from the Rebel spies..."_

Lily looked up at her father uncertainly. "Who is that, Daddy?" she asked. He looked really scary.

Her father's face was perfectly calm, but Lily could tell that something was wrong. "I was wondering the same thing myself," he agreed thoughtfully. He smiled, kissing her; but still Lily felt something strange, and it made her uneasy. "Come on, up you go," her father said cheerfully, lifting her off his lap and setting her on her feet as he got up. "You're getting so big!" he told her proudly. Lily smiled, but secretly she was very worried.

"Padme, I'm going over to Obi-Wan's," her father announced.

"All right, I'll see you later," her mother said, coming out from the kitchen and kissing him goodbye.

Lily was worried about her daddy, but she hid her concern. "Are you going to _Master_ Obi-Wan's house or _Clone_ OB-1's house? she asked, with a mischievous grin.

Her father laughed, his blue eyes sparkling cheerfully. "Master Obi-Wan's," he told her good-naturedly, kissing her goodbye. "But I'll be back to tuck you in bed later on," he promised. "Be a good girl, OK?"

"I will," Lily promised, smiling; but her smile faded as her father left the room. It was fear that she had felt. And the fear had left with him. Lily had never in her life felt her father afraid before...

Tears sprang to her eyes, and suddenly she was very, very frightened.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

_I hate hills,_ Anakin grumbled, panting as he trudged up the path toward Obi-Wan's cottage. _Whoever invented hills was a masochist._ But at least he made it all the way up this time without having to rest; that was an improvement. _Obi-Wan was right,_ he realized. _All I needed was a little time off. But now I'm going to go back there and kick this guy's butt, whoever he is,_ Anakin vowed angrily. _He got a medal!_ he realized again, in utter disbelief. _I never got a medal in twenty years. And he gets one on his first day. It's not fair..._

But as he reached Obi-Wan's doorstep he suddenly forgot his own frustration as he witnessed the heartbreaking sight before him. _Oh no,_ he thought, grief-stricken. _It's really happening. He's going insane._

"Ken?" Obi-Wan asked, staring blankly at the wall. "Are you sure?" Then his expression became concerned. "Oh dear... This is not good..." _Seriously,_Anakin agreed sadly. _How long have you been sitting here talking to the wall, Obi-Wan?_ Then Obi-Wan noticed him standing in the doorway. "Oh, Anakin, you're here," he smiled warmly, getting up and welcoming him inside. "We were just about to call you."

"We?" Anakin asked hesitantly, looking around the empty cottage. Then he felt another presence... _Oh. Oops._ "Hi, Master Qui-Gon," he said, bowing politely to the wall and pretending to see him. It was embarrassing; Obi-Wan could see him all the time, but Anakin could only hear his voice if he made a conscious effort.

_"Hi, Anakin,"_ Qui-Gon's voice replied cheerfully. _"I was just telling Obi-Wan; I've finally found his brother Ken,"_ he said.

"Oh!" Anakin said, smiling and nodding. "That's great," he congratulated him, hoping he was looking in the right direction. "Where is he?" he asked, curious. Ken had been missing for ten years; they had all been wondering where he'd gone.

But Qui-Gon failed to reply, and there was an awkward silence as Anakin stood there waiting, while Obi-Wan nodded quietly, apparently lost in thought. "Yes," Obi-Wan mused randomly, several moments later. "Anakin, what do you think?"

_Um..._ Anakin blinked, not sure what was going on. _Oh crap. I lost Qui-Gon,_ he realized. "Sorry," he apologized, cringing. "I'm just... distracted," he sighed ruefully, sinking down into an armchair across from Obi-Wan. Then, seeing Obi-Wan's amused expression, he quickly got up again. _Damn! Qui-Gon was sitting there..._ "I'm sorry, Master," Anakin apologized to the armchair, taking a seat on the couch instead.

"You are conflicted," Obi-Wan observed, concerned. "Anakin, what's going on?"

"That's what I came to talk to you about," Anakin apologized. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt..."

"No, please," Obi-Wan said graciously. "What is it, Anakin?"

Anakin sighed, shaking his head. "I was just watching the news. Some jerk is pretending to be me," he informed Obi-Wan, getting up again and pacing back and forth anxiously. "He invaded Yavin IV this morning. Hideous gave him a medal for it," he blinked, still unable to believe the news. "I don't know who the hell he is, but I'm going back there tomorrow; this guy's going down," Anakin vowed fiercely.

"Anakin, sit down," Obi-Wan reproached him mildly; and with a frustrated sigh, Anakin sank back down onto the couch. "This anger will not do," his master reminded him. "This is why you can't see Master Qui-Gon; must we go through this again?" he asked Anakin, frustrated. "Now; calm down," Obi-Wan said gently. "Focus. Take a deep breath. And we will discuss this matter in a civilized fashion. All _three_ of us," he added quietly.

"I'm sorry," Anakin apologized, closing his eyes and focusing his breathing. _Calm down. Don't be a jerk._ He began to feel Qui-Gon's presence again, in the armchair next to him.

_"You must not let your anger control you, Anakin,"_ Qui-Gon reproached him gently.

"Yes, Master. I'm sorry," Anakin apologized. _Anger leads to hatred; hatred leads to the Dark side..._

_"And what leads to anger?"_ Qui-Gon asked, reading his thoughts.

Anakin sighed. "Fear," he admitted reluctantly.

_"What are you afraid of, Anakin?"_ Qui-Gon asked gently.

Anakin shook his head miserably. "Luke and Leia," he said sadly. "This guy tried to kill them. He destroyed the Rebel base on Yavin IV. If they had been there..." Anakin broke off, fighting tears. "I have to go back," he cried desperately.

But Qui-Gon's presence was gone again. "Anakin," Obi-Wan said gently, "This is exactly why you _can't_ go back. Your attachment to your children is too strong. You did well to get out of there when you did, and I am proud of you," he added, smiling sadly. "But I will not allow you to go back; it's too dangerous. Anakin, I love you with all my heart, but I know you far too well," he sighed. "Sending you back in there now would be a complete disaster."

Anakin nodded, defeated. "I know," he sighed. "You're right," he admitted quietly. "But what are we going to do? Are we just going to let this guy...?" Then he realized the truth. "Hideous knows it's not me," he said, blinking. "He thinks I'm dead, so he found this guy to take my place." _And he gave him a medal on his first day. That is SO not fair._

"Actually," Obi-Wan sighed, "The Emperor does _not_ seem to know, as far as Qui-Gon can tell," he informed Anakin. "That's what we were discussing, before you came." Then he shook his head sadly. "It's Ken," he said quietly, his voice full of regret.

"Ken?" Anakin blinked, incredulous. "And Hideous doesn't know?" _And he STILL gave him a medal? I never got a medal,_ Anakin sulked. Then he remembered Luke and Leia. "So are we just going to let him keep hunting down the Rebels?" he asked worriedly.

Obi-Wan sighed. "Yes," he nodded. "But I don't think he will find them again. Anakin, you've known the Rebels were on Yavin IV for two years now; he must have found the information in your computer. But he won't know where to look next. The Imperial spies within the Rebel Alliance reported directly to Tarkin; they have no direct link to the _Executor_, right?" he asked Anakin.

Anakin nodded. The spies were Tarkin's personal connections; Anakin had never really had anything to do with them. He had simply brainwashed Tarkin once a week, immediately after he received the weekly report. "That's true," he conceded. "But still, they might try to contact Ken, or someone else," he pointed out.

_"I will keep an eye on them,"_ Qui-Gon promised. Now that Anakin had calmed down a bit, he could hear him again. _"Anakin, I will do what I can to watch over Luke and Leia. But our first duty is to protect the Empire, until we are ready to take over the defense of the Outer Rim."_

"Yes, Master," Anakin said humbly. "Thank you," he added quietly. "And I agree; the safety of the galaxy comes first." He shrugged apologetically toward Obi-Wan. "You're right; it's best if I'm not involved with any of that," he conceded sadly.

Obi-Wan smiled ruefully. "If it's any consolation, I would say that the Rebels have the upper hand at the moment," he pointed out. "My guess is that Ken is in far more danger from Luke and Leia, than they are from him," he added, with a regretful laugh.

Anakin laughed despite himself. _My oldest kids are trying to kill Obi-Wan's brother, and my youngest wants to marry his clone. How did our lives get to be so weird?_ He shook his head, amused. "Well let's just hope they never find each other," he sighed. Then he looked at Obi-Wan, suddenly startled. "So what am I to do now?" he asked, blinking as the realization hit him.

Obi-Wan smiled, his blue eyes twinkling with amusement. "Oh, I'm sure we can find something else for you to do around here," he assured him cheerfully. "How would you like to teach five thousand thirteen-year-olds how to fly?"

Anakin grinned happily, tears springing to his eyes as he realized what that meant. _I can stay home now, with my family. And I never have to wear that stupid mask ever again._ "Thank you, Master," he cried gratefully, overwhelmed with relief and happiness. Then he smiled, blinking away his tears as he stood up. "I promised Lily I'd tuck her in bed," he apologized, heading for the door. "Thanks again," he said sincerely, with a grateful smile toward the empty armchair as well.

"You've done well, Anakin," Obi-Wan nodded, seeing him to the door. "I'm very proud of you. But twenty years is enough," he said, smiling affectionately as he patted him on the shoulder. "Welcome home."

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile, at the new Rebel base...<em>

"Thank you for coming," the doctor said to the other Imperial spies who had gathered for a secret meeting. Then she sighed. "As you know, we have lost our link to the Empire with the destruction of Tarkin's Death Star," she said, as the other members nodded solemnly in agreement. "At this point the Empire has no way to track us; we need to find a new contact, in order to re-establish the tracking system for the slave implants," she informed them. "Does anyone have any suggestions for who to contact?"

The ten members of the secret Imperial spy group within the Rebel Alliance all looked at each other, shrugging; no one had any ideas. _Good,_ the doctor thought to herself. _It is as I had hoped._ "Very well," she nodded. "At this point it seems we have two options: we can contact Lord Vader, or attempt to find a different representative within the Imperial army. Let's take a vote: who here is in favor of establishing contact with Lord Vader?"

No one responded, and the doctor tried not to smile. They had long suspected that Lord Vader was up to something sinister, though no one had ever dared say so openly. Tarkin had been bad enough, but the thought of reporting directly to a Sith lord was terrifying. "Very well," she said. "So I take it we would like to find another contact within the Empire. Are there any suggestions?" she asked again.

Again, the other members simply looked at each other, then at the floor, avoiding her eyes. The doctor nodded. "All right," she said quietly. She had guessed at this since the destruction of Tarkin's Death Star, but it was not something that anyone dared to say out loud. "If there are no other suggestions, then I move that we temporarily postpone all activities until we are able to find a suitable contact within the Empire."

Everyone nodded in agreement, and there was a sense of relief among the members of the group. "Thank you," the doctor said, smiling as she met their apologetic gazes. "This meeting is adjourned." She watched quietly as the members filed out of the room, rejoining their other friends within the Rebel Alliance.

_It's over,_ she realized with relief. No one wanted to admit it, but after living with the Rebels for so many years, they had all developed close friendships with the other members. These were good people, with noble goals; and for the first time ever, it actually looked like they might stand a chance of someday overthrowing the tyrannical Emperor. All ten of the Imperial spies had been quietly alarmed to learn of Lord Vader's barbaric assault on Yavin IV, and they had always known that in the event of an attack, the ten of them were considered expendable by the Empire; at this point they were more than happy to conveniently ignore their responsibilities.

Returning to her office, she opened her secret vault and pulled out the files that she had been collecting for the past eighteen years. She had never learned anything terribly surprising or unusual during her interrogation sessions; but one thing still troubled her. Picking up the mysterious, charred computer disc labeled _A SKYWALKER,_ she looked at it now, trying to decide what to do.

She had of course analyzed the disc's contents, and gathered that Anakin Skywalker had been a Jedi spy aboard the Death Star, apparently reporting back to yet another group called the New Republic. And it seemed that this New Republic was led by Obi-Wan Kenobi, who had left the Rebel Alliance soon after the first Imperial spies had infiltrated the group...

_He's still alive,_ she smiled to herself. _He's still out there, and this time he's doing things right._ The doctor remembered Obi-Wan from her earliest days with the Rebel Alliance; she had always respected him deeply, even though it was her job to spy on him. And from what she could gather, there was something else going on that the Rebels didn't know about.

She had brainwashed Luke to forget about the disc's contents, and during his follow-up interrogation he clearly had no memory of the disc whatsoever. _Should I let him have it back?_ she wondered, recalling his happiness and pride as he had told her about his father's bravery in his drugged stupor. This disc was all the boy had of his father; but she sighed, shaking her head. _It's too dangerous,_ she decided sadly. He had found the disc by accident in the Death Star's trash compactor; obviously Anakin had not meant for it to be found.

Obi-Wan Kenobi was up to something, she realized. Something top-secret, that none of the Rebels knew about. And if he was keeping it secret from the Rebel Alliance, then he must have his reasons. _I trust him,_ she decided regretfully, realizing how strange that seemed, considering that she had been hired to spy on him so many years ago. _The Rebels are good people, but alarmingly idealistic and naive. If Obi-Wan needed their help, or wanted them to know of his activities, he would contact them._

With a heavy sigh, the doctor took the mysterious disc labeled _A SKYWALKER_ and dropped it into the nearby incinerator, along with all of her other files. There would be no more interrogations, no more secret reports, and no contact with the Empire. The ten Imperial spies had still not admitted it out loud, but for all practical purposes, they were now loyal members of the Rebel Alliance.

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile, aboard the Executor...<em>

Ken sat in his private chamber, smiling proudly as he admired his shiny gold medal once again. _I got a medal, on my very first day,_ he thought happily. _My hero would be so proud,_ he realized wistfully, still a bit teary-eyed over his tragic death.

And it had been so easy! It hadn't taken him long to find the _Executor,_ and the officers had welcomed him back so politely; they hadn't even asked him where he had been, or why he had been gone so long. They were simply glad that he wasn't dead. _They're so obedient and well-behaved,_ Ken thought proudly. _My hero trained them well._

Ken had spent the past ten years studying his hero's life, and knew that his job was to hunt down the Rebel spies. And so, after boarding the_Executor,_ his first thought had been to log onto the main computer and see what he could find there.

He had typed in a search for "Rebel Alliance", and lo and behold, the computer had told him that they were located on Yavin IV. Then, Ken had excitedly gone straight to the bridge and commanded the captain - in his very best imitation of his hero's voice - to set a course for Yavin IV. After that, he had simply stood there giving orders while the Storm Troopers swept the abandoned base and did all the actual work. It had been ridiculously easy.

_I'm actually good at this,_ Ken realized happily, admiring his medal once again. But he was too excited to just sit there in his private chamber for very long. _I still need to practice,_ he resolved. His operation had gone well, and Ken loved his new, powerful mechanical limbs, but he did not quite feel comfortable with them yet. Putting his helmet back on, he switched on his ventilator and opened the chamber door. Then he strode confidently past the guards and out to the main hallway, smiling at the beautiful sound of his breathing as he practiced his hero's strong, magnificent walk.

_But what will I do next?_ he wondered as he walked through the hallway. He had tried typing in another search for "New secret Rebel base" after the invasion of Yavin IV; but alas, nothing had come up. Ken would keep trying, but in the meantime perhaps there was something else he could do...

_I will make probe droids,_ he decided. _Thousands and thousands of probe droids! And I will send them out to all corners of the galaxy... And they will take pictures! And the pictures will tell me where the Rebels are!_ Ken blinked uncertainly behind his mask. _Will that actually work?_ he wondered tentatively. Then he grinned happily, still too excited about his recent medal to worry much. _Hey, it's worth a try,_ he decided, giggling silently at the adorable little droids that were now scrambling to get out of his way.

_I love being me,_ Ken decided, smiling ecstatically.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

_Oh, great. Here he comes,_ Captain Piett sighed ruefully.

"You've found something?" Lord Vader asked, coming over to inspect their progress.

"Yes, my Lord," Captain Piett replied politely. _Don't say anything... Maybe he'll just go away..._ Captain Piett showed him the latest picture from the probe droids, hoping against hope that Lord Vader would have at least a shred of common sense this time and realize that the Rebels would not be on some remote planet covered in ice.

"That's it," Lord Vader said. "The Rebels are there." _Here we go again,_ Captain Piett thought ruefully.

"My Lord," Admiral Ozzel said condescendingly, as if speaking to a small child, or someone who was very stupid. "There are so many uncharted settlements. It could be smugglers, it could be - "

"That is the system," Vader insisted, as always. "And I'm sure Skywalker is with them. Set your course for the Hoth system. General Veers, prepare your men!"

Captain Piett sighed sadly; they had been through this routine so many times. Every time one of Lord Vader's precious probe droids found a picture of anything - anything at all - Vader was absolutely certain that _this_ time he had found the secret Rebel base.

But after Lord Vader was out of sight, Admiral Ozzel gave Captain Piett a subtle look of warning, shaking his head.

* * *

><p><em>They think I don't know,<em> Ken wept bitterly, stalking away. _They think I don't see. But I do. I see the laughs, and the stares, and I hear the whispers,_he cried, tears springing to his eyes as he recalled the condescending tone Admiral Ozzel had used with him just now. _I can hide inside this suit, but they still treat me like poor old crazy Ken,_ he sobbed, returning to his private chamber to cry.

_I'll show them,_ he sniffed. _I'll show them I'm not crazy. And I'll find the Rebels. And I'll get another pretty, shiny gold medal from the Emperor,_ he consoled himself. _And then they won't laugh at me anymore._

But now someone was ringing his doorbell, wanting to talk to him. _Go away,_ Ken thought miserably. _I just want to be alone right now._ But he choked back his tears, composing himself. _This is not just about me. I'm letting my hero down. They all think he's gone crazy,_ Ken realized sadly. _I have dishonored his memory,_ he wept, heartbroken.

_I will fix this,_ he resolved, opening his chamber door. _I will do what I must, for my hero. I will make them respect him again. He deserves that much,_Ken knew. "What is it, General?" he asked.

"My lord, the fleet has moved out of light-speed," General Veers reported. "Com-Scan has detected an energy field protecting an area around the sixth planet of the Hoth system. The field is strong enough to deflect any bombardment."

"The Rebels are alerted to our presence," Ken realized unhappily. "Admiral Ozzel came out of light-speed too close to the system." Ken blinked back tears. _I was going to get a nice shiny gold medal but now Ozzel's ruined everything,_ he sniffed.

"He felt surprise was wiser," General Veers pointed out.

"He is as clumsy as he is stupid," Ken sulked. _He's a great big poopoo-head and I hate him._ "General, prepare your troops for a surface attack."

"Yes, my lord," General Veers replied obediently.

_OK, Ozzel... I didn't want to have to do this, but nobody disrespects Lord Vader and lives to tell about it,_ Ken vowed angrily, calling him up on the viewscreen. _I'll show them what happens when you make fun of my hero._

"Lord Vader," Admiral Ozzel said. "The fleet has moved out of light speed, and we're preparing to... Aaagh!" he choked, as Ken squeezed his throat._Ha! You thought I couldn't do that? Well I can,_ Ken cried miserably.

"You have failed me for the last time, Admiral," Ken said angrily, choking back tears. "Captain Piett."

"Yes, my Lord," Piett said.

"Make ready to land our troops beyond the energy shield and deploy the fleet so that nothing gets off the system. You are in command now, Admiral Piett," Ken told him, letting go of Ozzel as he crumpled to the floor.

"Thank you, Lord Vader," Piett said politely.

_Well that sucked,_ Ken sniffed sadly. _I don't like doing that. I feel bad now,_ he cried. _What would my Mommy say?_ But he knew it had to be done, for his hero's sake. _Hopefully that made an impression, and they'll stop teasing me now,_ he consoled himself. _I know that was a really mean thing to do, but it was just this one time,_ Ken reasoned, trying to justify his actions. _It'll never happen again._

* * *

><p><em>An hour later...<em>

_Where are they?_ Ken wondered, following the Storm Troopers around the Rebel base. _Are they in here?_ he thought hopefully, blasting through a doorway and checking the next room. _No,_ he sighed sadly, turning around and proceeding down the hallway. _Are they in here?_ he hoped, looking around. _No,_ he sighed again, continuing his search. _Are they in here...?_

But sadly, Ken was not able to find them anywhere. And besides, it was so terribly cold in there; Ken's mask was starting to fog over and he couldn't see very well anyway. _I was never good at hide and seek,_ he admitted ruefully, returning to the _Executor._ But then he heard a noise in the next room...

_Oh, look!_ Ken grinned excitedly, as the Millennium Falcon blasted off. _There they are!_

* * *

><p>Ken spent the next hour chasing after one teeny tiny little ship through an asteroid field with his entire fleet of Star Destroyers; but suddenly the<em>Millennium Falcon<em> disappeared, and now he wasn't sure where it had gone. _I will find it,_ he resolved stubbornly. _All the other ships got away, but we will keep chasing this one, no matter what. I will not give up._

But then Admiral Piett came running to him, saying that the Emperor wanted to talk to him. _Yay!_ Ken thought excitedly. _He wants to give me another shiny gold medal for finding Hoth!_

"What is thy bidding, my master?" Ken asked formally, barely concealing his excitement as he knelt before the Emperor.

"There is a great disturbance in the Force," the Emperor replied.

_Yes, that was the Rebel base! I found it! On Hoth! Because of my probe droids!_ "I have felt it," Ken agreed. _Ohhh I know what he's going to say next... I'm getting a shiny gold medal... Yes!_

"We have a new enemy: Luke Skywalker," Palpatine said.

_I know, I know..._ "Yes, my master." _OK, can I have my medal now? Please?_

"He could destroy us," the Emperor warned him.

_I know, but..._ "He's just a boy," Ken protested. "Obi-Wan can no longer help him." _Besides, he's my hero's son... Yoda told me all about him... Oh, wouldn't it be cool to meet him someday?_ Ken realized suddenly, grinning happily. _OK, come on... My medal..._

"The Force is strong with him," Palpatine said. "The son of Skywalker must not become a Jedi."

_True, but... Hey, what about a Sith?_ "If he could be turned, he would become a powerful ally," Ken suggested, smiling excitedly at the thought. _And then I would get to meet him, and work with him every day! Oh, that would be so awesome!_

"Yes... Yes... He would be a great asset," the Emperor agreed. "Can it be done?"

_Ohhh, I sure hope so..._ "He will join us or die, my master," Ken promised, bowing. _This is so exciting! I get to meet my hero's son, in real life! We're going to be best friends, I know it! Thank you, Master!_

_Master?_ Ken looked up, blinking. _Master, where did you go?_ But the holograph image had disappeared. _Aww,_ Ken shrugged, disappointed. _I guess there's no medal this time._ Getting to his feet, he walked back through the hallway toward the command bridge.

_I guess I'll keep looking for that little ship,_ he decided. _But this is harder than you'd think... Wait a minute,_ he smiled, remembering something. _Yes!_Returning to his private chamber, Ken went through the junk mail file on his computer. He was always getting advertisements from bounty hunters; they claimed that they could find anyone.

_But which one to choose?_ he wondered, looking through all the impressive, promising ads. _They all look so competent..._ Ken grinned, shrugging. _I'll just hire all of them,_ he decided whimsically.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

_This is the most exciting day of my life,_ Ken thought nervously, pacing around the carbon freezing chamber on Cloud City as he waited for his hero's son to arrive. _This is even better than getting a medal!_

He hadn't expected to find Luke so quickly. Ken had nearly given up on his quest to find the _Millennium Falcon_, and had choked another of his officers in frustration (which he now regretted); but then, amazingly enough, he had received a transmission from one of his bounty hunters, saying that he'd tracked the _Millennium Falcon_ to Cloud City.

Ken had been overjoyed to learn that one of the passengers was Princess Leia Organa, his hero's daughter. He had invited her to dinner along with her friends, hoping to make a good impression; but sadly that had not turned out very well at all. Her boyfriend had rudely started shooting at Ken with his blaster, completely ruining the mood.

So then Ken had been forced to resort to torture; but still they refused to tell him where Luke was. One of his Storm Troopers had pointed out afterwards that the interrogation might have gone better if Ken had actually asked them some questions, instead of simply torturing them; but it had been impossible to think clearly with all that screaming. Luckily, by some miraculous coincidence, Ken had just received news that Luke was now on his way here anyway.

It had been Boba Fett's idea to confront him in the carbon freezing chamber; Ken had hoped that Luke would join him willingly, but just in case, he had a backup plan to keep him safely restrained until he could get him back aboard the _Executor_. He had already tried it out on Leia's boyfriend, and it seemed to work perfectly well.

But hopefully it wouldn't come to that. Ken was heartbroken by Leia's reaction to him; it was hard to believe that his hero's daughter could be so rude and spiteful. _She hates me,_ he admitted sadly. But perhaps there was still hope for Luke...

_There he is!_ Ken realized excitedly, his heart pounding wildly as Luke appeared in the carbon freezing chamber. _Look at him! My hero's son!_ Ken was grateful for his ventilator; otherwise he would surely have passed out from the overwhelming excitement of meeting his hero's son in person. _I mustn't screw this up,_ he realized, composing himself. _I have to do this right, for my hero's sake._

"The Force is with you, young Skywalker," he said. "But you are not a Jedi yet." _I wish I could tell him he's my son. Then he would certainly want to join me... But it's a secret,_ Ken reminded himself sadly, though he wasn't exactly sure why. _If only there were a way to get him to realize I'm his father, without actually telling him..._

_Actions speak louder than words,_ he decided, smiling as an idea came to him. _I will act like his father, and then he will know!_ Ken had never had children of his own, but he'd had a father once... _He used to hit me with a baseball bat,_ Ken remembered. No one else had ever done that; only his father. _Yes! If I hit Luke with a baseball bat, he will surely realize that I'm his father!_

But unfortunately Ken had left his baseball bat back at the abandoned factory. _Well,_ he sighed, _I guess I'll have to improvise..._ Activating his red lightsaber, he started swinging it at Luke. _See, Luke? I'm beating the crap out of you... Obviously I'm your father! Who else could I possibly be? This is what fathers do..._

But it didn't work; Luke clearly had no idea who he was. _Damn, I'll have to think of something else,_ he realized, when his attempt to carbon-freeze him failed. _Yes!_ Ken remembered. _My dad used to throw stuff at me!_ Using the Force, Ken began to hurl pieces of equipment at Luke, battering him mercilessly. _Come on, Luke; don't you get it? I'm your father! I do this because I love you!_

Ken sighed unhappily; Luke was clearly not taking the hint. "You are beaten," Ken told him finally. "It is useless to resist. Don't let yourself be destroyed as Obi-Wan did... Aaahhhh!" Ken yelped, as Luke slashed at his shoulder.

_Ow! That hurt!_ Striking back, he chopped off Luke's hand. _Ooops. Maybe that was a bit drastic,_ he cringed. _But don't worry, Luke. They can fix that. It stings a bit at first, but soon it'll be better than new, trust me!_

"There is no escape," Ken told him again. "Don't make me destroy you." _Maybe he'll listen to reason, even if he doesn't know I'm his father,_ Ken hoped. "You do not yet realize your importance," he pleaded. _You're my hero's son! You're better than this!_ "You have only begun to discover your power. Join me and I will complete your training. With our combined strength, we can end this destructive conflict and bring order to the galaxy."_Come on, Luke! This is your chance to make him proud!_

"I'll never join you!" Luke yelled.

_Aww, come on..._ "If you only knew the power of the Dark side," Ken began; but he knew it was hopeless. _Screw it. I'm just going to tell him._ "Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father," he said slyly.

"He told me enough! He told me you killed him!" Luke yelled.

"No," Ken said. "I am your father." _There! I said it! I know I wasn't supposed to but I know he'll join me now!_

"No. No. That's not true! That's impossible!" Luke screamed.

"Search your feelings. You know it to be true," Ken said. _I smacked you around with a lightsaber, I threw stuff at you, I even chopped off your hand... Isn't it obvious by now that I'm your father?_

"No! No! No!" Luke kept screaming. _Oh dear,_ Ken realized sadly. _This boy is more rebellious than Leia. I'm glad my hero didn't live long enough to see how his children turned out,_ he cried, blinking back tears. _This would have broken his heart._ But then Ken thought of something else... _Ohhhh, this is my most brilliant idea EVER..._

"Luke," he said excitedly. "You can destroy the Emperor! He has foreseen this! It is your destiny! Join me, and we can rule the galaxy as father and son!" _Come on, Luke! It just doesn't get any better than that! And then we can do whatever we want, and give ourselves gold medals every single day!_ Ken realized, still bitter that the Emperor hadn't given him one for his glorious invasion of Hoth.

But then Luke was falling, falling, falling to his death... _Nooooo!_ Ken wept bitterly. _I have failed! My hero's children hate me! They would rather die than be friends with me,_ Ken sobbed miserably. _They're just like everybody else. No one has ever liked me, in my entire life... Except for Ben,_ Ken sniffed sadly. _But I drove him away too..._

"Luke," Ken wept, heartbroken to realize that he had killed his hero's son.

_"Father,"_ came Luke's voice in his head.

_What?_ Ken blinked, startled. _He's alive!_ he realized suddenly, smiling with joyful relief. _I can feel him! He's nearby... Aboard the Millennium Falcon..._"Son," Ken cried happily; then he turned quickly to his Storm Troopers. "Come with me," he commanded urgently, heading back toward his shuttle._I'm coming, Luke,_ Ken smiled tearfully, hurrying to his ship. _I'll save you from your mean sister and her rude boyfriend! We can still be friends, I know it!_

_Oh, this is the best day of my life,_ Ken smiled ecstatically, tears of joy springing to his eyes as he realized that he had succeeded in bonding with his hero's son, and that for the first time in his entire, tragic life, he had a true friend.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

_Twenty-five years,_ Padme thought tenderly, smiling blissfully as she gazed at the peaceful, sleeping figure beside her in bed. It was hard to believe that it had been that long; but they had celebrated their anniversary three nights ago, and Padme was still overwhelmed with gratitude to realize that after all these years, she still had her Ani beside her, alive and well.

_He's still so beautiful,_ she decided wistfully, tracing a finger gently along the faded scar on his cheek. "Mmmgh," Anakin sighed sleepily, smiling peacefully as she brushed away a wayward, curly golden-brown lock and kissed him on the temple. Snuggling closer, she lay her head against his shoulder and wrapped her arm protectively around him, closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep to the sound of his peaceful, natural breathing.

There was a time when she had thought he was lost to her forever, and the grief had nearly killed her. For five long, sorrowful years she had cried herself to sleep every night, heartbroken and alone, unable to accept the truth of his tragic betrayal. Her love for him had not died that night on Mustafar, and she had often lain awake at night, wondering if somewhere in his twisted soul there was still a part of him that remembered her, and loved her as well.

But then one day her Ani had come back to her, sickly and pale and half-dead from his own grief, his eyes haunted by a horror she could not imagine, his beautiful face forever scarred, his once-perfect body cruelly mutilated. They had held each other close, and Padme had wept with tears of joyful relief to hear his tender voice again, so soft and loving. She had kissed his poor, scarred face, smiling wistfully as she stroked his soft, curly locks, promising him that he was still beautiful, and that she loved him.

From that moment on, she had never again taken for granted the simple, blissful pleasure of feeling safe and loved in her husband's arms. And over the next fifteen years, their treasured moments together had been all too rare, stolen in desperate snatches whenever Anakin could get away from the horror of his life aboard the _Executor_. Padme had worried constantly, both for his safety and for his fragile health; she and Obi-Wan had watched with quiet alarm as his breathing continued to fail during that final year.

Obi-Wan had put an end to it two years ago, after the destruction of the Death Star, sensing that Anakin's health would not hold out much longer. He and Padme had hoped that with a bit of rest and prolonged independence from the ventilator, Anakin's breathing might improve somewhat; but they had never dreamed that his recovery would be so dramatic.

_We could have spared him so much suffering, if we had known,_ Padme realized now. The doctors had said that Anakin's lungs were irreparably damaged, and that he should be grateful he wasn't dependent upon the ventilator all the time; but permanent devaderization seemed to agree with him, and within two months after leaving his job aboard the _Executor_, his breathing had returned almost to normal. Padme was still heartbroken to think that Anakin had suffered needlessly for so many years, but she was overwhelmed with gratitude that he was well again now, healthy and active and strong.

The children were overjoyed to have their father home, and the past two years had been the happiest of their lives. After everything they had been through together, they were finally a normal family. At least, as normal as could be expected, considering that all five children were Jedi padawans, and that they all lived on a secret military base in the middle of nowhere... At the edge of a pretty little lake... Just like her home on Naboo... With lovely, clear blue water, sparkling and shimmering in the sun...

Padme stirred, sighing blissfully and snuggling closer to Ani. She must have drifted off to sleep, she realized vaguely. Reaching an arm out, she wrapped it around her husband again. Then she frowned sleepily, groping around in the empty sheets, trying to find him. _Where did he go?_ It was a chilly night, and Padme wanted to snuggle...

But the bed beside her was empty, and Anakin was gone. _Oh no,_ Padme realized anxiously. That could only mean one thing...

Anakin had had another one of his dreams. And now he was about to do something very stupid.

* * *

><p><em>"Ken,"<em> came a ghostly voice, from everywhere and nowhere all at once.

_No,_ Ken cried miserably, closing his eyes and trying to ignore it. "Go away!" he said.

_"Kennnn,"_ the voice repeated. _"I am the ghost of Anakinnn Skyyyywalllkerrrrrr..."_

_What?_ Ken blinked, looking around his little chamber. He knew he shouldn't listen to strange voices, but this was his hero! "Yes," he said excitedly, his heart racing wildly. "Yes, your Majesty! I can hear you!"

_"What did you do, Ken?"_ the voice asked. _"What did you do to my son?"_ He sounded angry.

_Oh no,_ Ken realized unhappily. _He knows!_ "I'm sorry," Ken cried. "I'm sorry, your Highness... I - it was a mistake, I didn't mean to do it! He'll be all right, I promise! I'm sorry," Ken wept.

_"You did not answer the question, Ken,"_ his hero's ghost rebuked him. _"What have you done to Luke? Where is he?"_

"I - I don't know where he is," Ken admitted sadly. "I was trying to find him. I heard his voice, inside my head... We were going to be friends," he explained. "But then I lost him..."

_"Ken,"_ the ghost said quietly. _"I am going to ask you one last time: What did you do to my son?"_ Ken felt an angry presence filling the chamber, invading his mind, probing him...

Ken hung his head, weeping. "I chopped off his hand," he admitted tearfully. "I'm sorry, your Holiness... It was an accident, I didn't mean to do it!" he apologized miserably.

He felt the angry presence falter; there was pain, and sadness, and then it receded somewhat. _"I am very displeased with you, Ken,"_ the ghost said coldly. _"You will not harm my son again. Is that understood?"_

"Yes," Ken nodded vigorously. "Yes, your Majesty. It won't happen again," he promised.

_"Good,"_ his hero's ghost said. _"Now: Where is he?"_ he asked again. _"I saw him... falling,"_ he said quietly. _"Where was that, Ken?"_

"Oh! That was in Cloud City," he told his hero's ghost helpfully. "But he's not there any more," he explained. "He went away, with Leia, and her boyfriend."

There was a moment of silence. _"Leia has a boyfriend?"_ the ghost asked suddenly.

"Yes," Ken said. _I probably shouldn't have told him that,_ he realized. _But I can't lie to him... He would know..._

_"What's he like?"_ his hero's ghost wanted to know.

"He's - " Ken sighed unhappily. "He's very rude," he admitted reluctantly. "I invited him to dinner and he shot at me with his blaster," he told his hero sadly. "But I tortured him," he said brightly. _I made him scream, really loud... You would be proud of me!_

_"I see,"_ the ghost said thoughtfully. _"You will not do that again,"_ he commanded. _"You will not harm Luke, or Leia, or Leia's boyfriend, or any of their other friends. And you will stop looking for the secret rebel base. Is that understood, Ken?"_

Ken hung his head. "Yes, your Holiness," he replied obediently. Then he remembered something. _Wait a minute... Oh no! Leia's boyfriend is the one I froze in carbonite!_ Ken realized anxiously. _But I can't tell him that now; he's already angry with me..._

_"Good. And you will not speak of this conversation to anyone,"_ the ghost said. _"Especially the Emperor,"_ he added emphatically.

"I won't," Ken promised. _I don't like him any more anyway. He never gave me my medal,_ he realized sadly.

_"Farewell, Kennnn,"_ his hero's ghost said, his voice growing fainter as it trailed off, echoing through the ventilation system surrounding Ken's private chamber. _"And may the Force be with youuuu..."_ Then he was gone.

Ken smiled blissfully, closing his eyes and sighing as he felt his hero's presence recede. _Thank you, your Worship,_ he prayed silently, overwhelmed with emotion. _Thank you for speaking with me. You have just made my entire life._

* * *

><p><em>The next day, at the secret New Republic command center...<em>

_I will not jeopardize the safety of the entire galaxy and torment some poor old crazy guy because of a stupid dream I had,_ Anakin wrote on the chalkboard for the ninety-eighth time. _I will not jeopardize the safety of the entire galaxy and torment some poor old crazy guy because of a stupid dream I had. I will not jeopardize the safety of the entire galaxy and torment some poor old crazy guy because of a stupid dream I had._

"There," Anakin said smugly, wiping the chalk dust from his black-gloved hands. "That's a hundred. Can I go now?"

"Yes," Obi-Wan sighed ruefully, "You may." Shaking his head in utter despair, he returned to his task of grading five thousand history reports as the galaxy's most immature Jedi Master went off to play on the beach with the other children.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Emperor Palpatine laughed quietly to himself, seeing the kneeling figure before him as he walked down the shuttle ramp. He knew exactly who it was; he'd known for three years now, but had played along because it amused him. "Rise, my friend," he said, as Ken got to his feet.

"The Death Star will be completed on schedule," Ken promised him.

"You have done well, Lord Vader," Palpatine congratulated him. "And now I sense you wish to continue your search for young Skywalker," he suggested slyly. That was in fact the Emperor's whole reason for coming here; the invading aliens were attacking in alarming numbers lately, and he knew that Ken was a drooling moron. He needed Skywalker's strength now, more than ever.

"Yes, my Master," Ken replied obediently.

"Patience, my friend," Palpatine said. "In time he will seek you out. And when he does, you must bring him before me. He has grown strong. Only together can we turn him to the Dark side of the Force," he said dramatically, laughing at how easy it was to manipulate this idiot.

"As you wish," Ken agreed politely.

The Emperor smiled to himself. "Everything is proceeding as I have foreseen," he said, cackling in amusement as he remembered their first meeting three years ago, when he had given Ken his precious, shiny gold medal.

Palpatine had known that Anakin Skywalker was lost to him from the start; but unfortunately he'd had bigger problems to deal with, as the toxic aliens had suddenly begun to invade the Outer Rim. And so for twenty years he had largely ignored Skywalker; he was only using him as bait anyway. It was Obi-Wan that he had wanted from the very beginning.

Skywalker had predictably done nothing at all for twenty years; and so when Palpatine heard the news that Lord Vader had suddenly invaded the Rebel base on Yavin IV, he had immediately grown suspicious. The medal of recognition had simply been an excuse to meet the new Lord Vader, and Palpatine had nearly laughed himself sick when he realized who it was.

_Ah, Ken,_ he laughed to himself. _You are a complete idiot,_ he sighed with amusement, still tickled by the irony of this situation. It was the youngest Kenobi that Palpatine wanted, not this ridiculous imbecile... _But you have done well,_ he conceded. _In your own stupid, pathetic way._

* * *

><p><em>Here we go again,<em> Admiral Piett sighed ruefully, as Lord Vader approached.

"Where is that shuttle going?" Lord Vader asked, as if it were somehow important. Vader had always been a bit eccentric, but since his TIE fighter accident three years ago, after the destruction of Tarkin's Death Star, he had been nuttier than a fruitcake. Today he had been walking around the ship all day long, annoying the entire crew and micromanaging every aspect of the _Executor's_ activities.

_Fine,_ Piett sighed, contacting the shuttle. He had always humored the crazy Sith lord and treated him with respect; that was why he was still alive, and hadn't been choked to death. "Shuttle Tiderion," he said. "What is your cargo and destination?"

"Parts and technical crew for the forest moon," the pilot replied.

Piett waited patiently for Vader to make the next move. "Do they have a code clearance?" Vader asked. These days Lord Vader prided himself in knowing every detail of every procedure and operation aboard the _Executor;_ he sometimes spent days on end poring through the ship's manuals and learning how everything worked.

"It's an older code, sir, but it checks out," Admiral Piett replied politely. "I was about to clear them."

Lord Vader stood there for a moment, not replying; then he gazed randomly at the ceiling for several long, awkward seconds. _Oh dear,_ Piett sighed._Not this again._ Sometimes Lord Vader would suddenly go catatonic for no reason at all, right in the middle of a conversation; Piett was beginning to wonder if he suffered from some form of narcolepsy.

"Shall I hold them?" Piett asked, politely jarring Vader out of his trance.

"No," Vader replied. "Leave them to me. I will deal with them myself."

"As you wish, my Lord," Piett agreed politely. "Carry on." _I pity whoever is on that shuttle,_ he sighed ruefully. _But hopefully they will hold Lord Vader's attention for a little while so the rest of us can actually get some work done around here._

A moment later, however, Lord Vader seemed to have completely forgotten the matter. _Oh dear,_ Piett sighed sadly, shaking his head. _He's not going to last much longer if this type of behavior keeps up. Especially with the Emperor here..._ Instead of following up on the shuttle situation, Lord Vader had absent-mindedly returned to his favorite spot by the window, and was now staring blankly out into space.

* * *

><p><em>I felt him!<em> Ken thought excitedly. _It's Luke! He DOES want to be friends with me! I knew it all along!_ Ken had obediently respected his hero's wishes, and had not actively searched for Luke for nearly a year now; but if Luke came to _him_, that was all right, wasn't it?

Then he remembered the Emperor. _Oh, this is a bit tricky,_ he realized worriedly. _The Emperor wants me to find and destroy the rebels, but I promised my hero I wouldn't hurt his children, or their friends..._ Ken decided to go speak with the Emperor once more. _I have to make sure I do this right,_ he worried anxiously. _I can't screw up with my boss right here._

"I told you to remain on the command ship," the Emperor said testily.

_I know,_ Ken sighed ruefully. He had long ago given up the hope of ever getting another shiny gold medal; these days he couldn't seem to please the Emperor, no matter what he did. "A small Rebel force has penetrated the shield and landed on Endor," he informed his master.

"Yes, I know," the Emperor replied casually. _He seems to be in a pretty good mood,_ Ken thought hopefully.

"My son is with them," Ken reminded him politely. _Please let me go down there and see him! Oh please please please!_

"Are you sure?" the Emperor asked.

_Yes, I'm sure!_ "I have felt it, my Master," Ken replied.

"Strange, that I have not," the Emperor said. "I wonder if your feelings on this matter are clear, Lord Vader?"

"They are clear, my Master." _Ohhhh please... Let me go down there..._

"Then you must go to the Sanctuary moon and wait for him," the Emperor agreed.

_Yes!_ Ken thought happily. _Wait a minute..._ "He will come to me?" he asked, surprised.

"I have foreseen it," the Emperor assured him. "His compassion for you will be his undoing. He will come to you, and then you will bring him before me."

"As you wish," Ken agreed, bowing. _Oh, this is so exciting! I get to see him again! The Emperor has foreseen it! And I know this time he will want to be friends with me,_ Ken thought excitedly, turning to leave. _I heard his voice in my head last time. He called me Father,_ he sighed wistfully, tears of joy springing to his eyes.

* * *

><p><em>There he is!<em> Ken thought happily, as the officers brought Luke to him. _He looks so grown up! And he got his hand fixed and everything,_ he observed with relief, seeing Luke's black glove. He still felt bad about what had happened, and resolved to be more careful this time. _I promised my hero I wouldn't hurt him,_ he reminded himself. _I just want to be friends with him, that's all!_

"This is the Rebel that surrendered to us," the commander informed Ken. "Although he denies it, I believe there may be more of them, and I request permission to conduct a further search of the area. He was armed only with this," he said, handing him Luke's lightsaber.

"Good work, Commander!" Ken congratulated him. _Seriously, you've done a wonderful job. I would give you a shiny gold medal, if it were up to me._"Leave us." _I want to be alone with Luke! We need time to bond..._ "Conduct your search and bring his companions to me," he instructed the commander. _He's a professional. He won't hurt them,_ Ken reassured himself, remembering his promise to his hero's ghost.

"Yes, my Lord," the officer said politely.

Then Ken turned to Luke, smiling excitedly. "The Emperor has been expecting you," he said warmly. _I'm so glad you're here! I felt you, aboard the shuttle... Oh, isn't it wonderful that we've bonded already?_

"I know, Father," Luke replied.

_He called me Father,_ Ken smiled blissfully, his eyes welling over with joyful tears. "So, you have accepted the truth?" he asked hopefully.

"I have accepted the truth that you were once Anakin Skywalker, my father," Luke replied.

_Shhh! Luke, not so loud! It's a secret,_ Ken thought anxiously. "That name no longer has any meaning for me," Ken said dramatically, in case anyone was watching. _Oh dear, I must remind him later on that we don't speak His Holiness's name aloud..._

"It is the name of your true self," Luke insisted. "You've only forgotten. I know there is good in you! The Emperor hasn't driven it from you fully. That was why you couldn't destroy me. That's why you won't bring me to your Emperor now."

_Actually... Yes, I AM going to bring you to the Emperor,_ Ken blinked worriedly. _I promised my hero I wouldn't hurt you, or actively search for you, and I have lived up to my word,_ Ken reassured himself. _I just want to be friends, and turn you to the Dark side, that's all..._ "I see you have constructed a new lightsaber," he said, changing the subject. "Your skills are complete. Indeed you are powerful, as the Emperor has foreseen," Ken congratulated him, beaming with pride.

"Come with me," Luke said suddenly.

_Oh dear. He's sounding like poor old Ben now._ "Obi-Wan once thought as you do," Ken sighed. "You don't know the power of the Dark side." _Use your common sense, Luke! Ben was miserable with a lightsaber; I'm so much better than he was! Besides..._ "I must obey my Master," Ken reminded him patiently. _I made a promise, and I am a man of my word._

"I will not turn," Luke said stubbornly. "And you will be forced to kill me."

_But you will turn,_ Ken wanted to reassure him. _The Emperor has foreseen it!_ "If that is your destiny," he conceded graciously. _I don't want to argue with you, Luke; I just want us to be friends!_

"Search your feelings, Father," Luke begged him. "You can't do this! I feel the conflict within you. Let go of your hate!"

_That's what the doctors at the prison were always telling me,_ Ken sighed sadly. "It is too late for me, son," he said quietly. _They said I'll always be this way, and I'll never get any better,_ Ken admitted sadly. _But the past three years have been the happiest of my entire life..._

"The Emperor will show you the true nature of the Force," Ken reassured Luke. "He is your master now." _He's really not so bad. Hey, I bet you'll get a shiny gold medal too one day! You're so talented, Luke! I'm sure you will! And we're going to have so much fun working together!_

But nothing prepared him for what Luke said next. "Then my father is truly dead," his hero's son said coldly. Ken felt the pain stabbing through his heart as Luke entered the elevator, leaving him alone on the bridge.

_What?_ Ken wept sadly. _What did I say? Luke, I love you! I just want us to be friends! What did I say wrong?_ he sobbed miserably, blinking back tears as he looked out over the forest of Endor.

* * *

><p>It took Ken a few minutes to compose himself again after Luke's harsh words; but finally he followed him back to the shuttle, and brought him before the Emperor aboard the Death Star.<p>

"Welcome, young Skywalker," the Emperor said kindly. "I have been expecting you. You'll no longer need those," he assured him, thoughtfully unclasping Luke's handcuffs. "Guards, leave us." _Yay!_ Ken thought. _That was easy! He's on our side now!_ "I'm looking forward to completing your training," the Emperor said warmly. "In time you will call me Master." _Yes!_ Ken agreed happily.

"You're gravely mistaken," Luke said rudely. "You won't convert me as you did my father." _What?_ Ken blinked. _Oh no! Luke, don't be such a rebellious brat! What would your father say?_ he thought, heartbroken.

"Oh no, my young Jedi; you will find that it is you who are mistaken, about a great many things," the Emperor told him.

_It's true,_ Ken agreed ruefully. He was glad the Emperor was here now, and admitted that he had been right earlier: only together could they turn Luke to the Dark side of the Force; he was incredibly stubborn. "His lightsaber," Ken said, handing it to the Emperor.

"Ah, yes," the Emperor said. "A Jedi's weapon, much like your father's. By now you must know that your father can never be turned from the Dark side. So will it be with you."

"You're wrong," Luke said rudely. "Soon I'll be dead, and you with me." _Luke! Don't say such things,_ Ken cried sadly. _If your father saw how you're behaving right now, it would tear him apart..._

But the Emperor laughed good-naturedly. "Perhaps you refer to the imminent attack of your Rebel fleet? Yes, I assure you, we are quite safe from your friends here," he reassured him.

"Your overconfidence is your weakness," Luke insulted him childishly.

"Your faith in your friends is yours," the Emperor countered, his voice full of wisdom. Ken nodded in agreement; he had learned from experience that people who claim to be your friends only end up betraying you and hurting you in the end.

"It is pointless to resist, my son," he told Luke gently.

"Everything that has transpired has done so according to my design," the Emperor explained. "Your friends out there on the sanctuary moon are walking into a trap, as is your Rebel fleet. It was I who allowed the Alliance to know the location of the shield generator. It is quite safe from your pitiful little band. An entire legion of my best troops awaits them," he reassured him.

Sadly, Luke continued to resist, but the Emperor patiently continued to reason with him. "Your fleet is lost, and your friends on the Endor moon will not survive. There is no escape, my young apprentice. The Alliance will die, as will your friends."

Finally, that seemed to get through to Luke. "Good!" the Emperor praised him. "I can feel your anger. I am defenseless. Take your weapon. Strike me down with all of your hatred, and your journey towards the Dark side will be complete!"

Ken held his breath hopefully. _Come on, Luke... You can do it... Yes!_ he grinned happily, blocking Luke's blow at the last second. _Good job, Luke! Oh, this is great! You did it, son! I'm so proud of you!_

_OK, here comes the tricky part,_ Ken knew, as he and Luke clashed lightsabers in the Death Star's throne room. _I have to give him a nice, fatherly beating, but not actually hurt him this time,_ he reminded himself, striking at Luke but being extra careful not to chop off his hands, or feet, or any other body parts. _I promised my hero I wouldn't hurt him again. That was a mistake before; I just want us to be friends!_

"Good," the Emperor praised him warmly. "Use your aggressive feelings, boy. Let the hate flow through you," he instructed him.

"Obi-Wan has taught you well," Ken complimented him graciously. _You're a great fighter, Luke! So much better than Ben ever was! Oh, your father would be so proud,_ he thought wistfully.

"I will not fight you, Father," Luke said.

_I know, son,_ Ken smiled. _I just want us to be friends too. But you can't give up in the middle of a lightsaber duel!_ "You are unwise to lower your defenses," Ken reminded him, striking at him to demonstrate his point. _Never give in, Luke! That's the sort of thing that could get you killed someday,_ he thought worriedly.

"Your thoughts betray you, Father. I feel the good in you. The conflict," Luke said, once again resorting to the annoying psycho-babble that the doctors at the mental institution used to inflict on Ken.

"There is no conflict," Ken sulked. _If I wanted to listen to that stuff I would never have broken out of there,_ he thought angrily.

"You couldn't bring yourself to kill me before, and I don't believe you'll destroy me now," Luke taunted him.

Ken was in tears now. _Luke, stop being so mean to me!_ he sobbed. _Can't you see I'm just trying to be your friend! I promised your dad I wouldn't hurt you, but the Emperor is expecting me to either turn you, or kill you... Why do you have to make this so difficult?_ "You underestimate the power of the Dark side," Ken said, choking back tears. "If you will not fight, then you will meet your destiny!" He hurled his lightsaber at the bridge where Luke was standing, collapsing it beneath his feet.

"Good, good!" the Emperor praised him. _Thank you,_ Ken sniffed, picking up his lightsaber and going to look for Luke.

But he couldn't find him anywhere. _Oh, no,_ he cried sadly. _Not this again... I suck at hide and seek,_ Ken berated himself, frustrated. "You cannot hide forever, Luke," he pleaded. _It's so hard to see in this mask..._

"I will not fight you," Luke said again stubbornly.

_This is the worst day of my life,_ Ken wept miserably. "Give yourself to the Dark side," he begged him. "It is the only way you can save your friends."_Why does he keep thinking about them?_ "Yes, your thoughts betray you," Ken sniffed. _I can feel it, you know._ "Your feelings for them are strong." _You like them better than me,_ he cried sadly. "Especially for... Sister," Ken said unhappily, sensing Luke's feelings.

"So, you have a twin sister." _She's really mean. I don't like her. I would rather have been friends with you,_ Ken wept pathetically. _But if it has to be this way..._ "Your feelings have now betrayed her too. Obi-Wan was wise to hide her from me. Now his failure is complete. If you will not turn to the Dark side, then perhaps she will." _My hero deserves at least that much,_ Ken resolved selflessly.

"No!" Luke screamed, finally coming out of his hiding place, striking mercilessly at poor Ken. _I'm getting tired,_ Ken realized sadly. _Luke, don't hit me so hard, I'm going to fall down!_ But finally his strength gave out, and he collapsed against the railing. _Please don't hurt me, Luke,_ he begged. _I only wanted to be your friend..._ But Luke struck at him angrily, chopping his hand off. _Ow,_ Ken cried, falling to the floor. _He hates me. My hero's son hates me,_ he sobbed. _I have failed... Help me, Master..._

But the Emperor just laughed, amused. "Good," he praised Luke. "Your hate has made you powerful. Now, fulfill your destiny and take your father's place at my side!"

_What?_ Ken gasped, horrified. Tears sprang to his eyes. _No! You wouldn't do that! Not to my hero! Not to me,_ he cried, heartbroken. _After all my hard work... I've tried so hard to please you! I wanted another shiny gold medal,_ he sobbed pathetically. _I don't want to die..._

Luke tossed aside his lightsaber. "Never," he vowed. "I'll never turn to the Dark side. You've failed, your Highness. I'm a Jedi, like my father before me," he said proudly. Ken looked up at him gratefully. _Thank you,_ he choked. _Thank you, Luke._

The Emperor was at the end of his patience, Ken could tell. "So be it, Jedi," he said angrily. "If you will not be turned, you will be destroyed." Then, reaching his hands toward Luke, he suddenly zapped him with blue lightning bolts.

_Oh my..._ Stunned, Ken staggered to his feet. What was happening? He had seen this before! Ken blinked in confusion, trying to remember.

"Young fool," the Emperor said contemptuously. "Only now, at the end, do you understand. Your feeble skills are no match for the power of the Dark side. You have paid the price for your lack of vision." Reaching out his hands, he continued to cruelly zap Luke with blue lightning.

"Father, please!" Luke screamed, writhing in agony. _Father, please,_ Ken repeated to himself, stunned. Why was that so familiar?

"Now, young Skywalker," the Emperor said quietly. "You will die." Mesmerized, Ken watched the blue lightning bolts as they coursed through Luke's body. Then he looked at the Emperor... Then at Luke again... And suddenly the memory came to him.

_"Father, please!" Ken screamed, writhing on the floor in agony as his father bombarded him with blue lightning bolts. _

_"Palpatine," his mother begged frantically. "Palpatine, leave poor Ken alone!" But his father continued to zap him cruelly..._

_YOU!_ Ken realized angrily, staring at the Emperor. _YOU'RE MY FATHER! You're the sadistic monster that used to torture Ben and me when we were kids! You ruined our lives! It's because of you that we turned out the way we did! At least Obi-Wan got away from you..._ Suddenly Ken knew what he must do. _NO! YOU CAN'T DO THAT TO MY HERO'S SON! I WON'T LET YOU!_ Grabbing the Emperor, Ken lifted him high over his head, throwing him down into the reactor shaft. He felt the lightning course through his body, then collapsed to the ground.

_I was wrong,_ Ken realized now, heartbroken. _The Dark side is wrong... I'm sorry, Luke,_ he wept, ashamed of himself. _I'm so sorry..._ Luke was helping him now, pulling him to his feet, dragging him toward the shuttle; but Ken's strength failed, and he collapsed to the ground once again.

"Luke," he said, knowing that this was the end. "Help me take this mask off."

"But you'll die," Luke said, heartbroken.

"Nothing can stop that now," Ken told him. "Just for once, let me look on you with my own eyes." _You're my hero's son. I want to see you, for real, just once, before I die._

Luke removed his mask, and Ken smiled happily, gazing at him with loving adoration. _My hero's son..._ "Now, go, my son. Leave me," Ken gasped._Look how beautiful he is... So kind, and wise, and noble, and good..._

"No, you're coming with me," Luke insisted lovingly. "I'll not leave you here. I've got to save you."

Ken smiled lovingly at his hero's son. "You already have, Luke," he assured him. "You were right. You were right about me." _You're the only person who has ever believed in me, in my entire life._ "Tell your sister you were right." Ken gazed at Luke as he felt his breathing fail, his heartbeat grow faint and weak...

_My hero's son,_ he smiled happily, closing his eyes.

_No,_ he realized at the last moment.

_My hero._

And thus Ken Kenobi became one with the Force, and his pain was over.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

"Can I play?" Lily asked hopefully, joining her two eldest brothers and OB-1 at the dining room table. It was a foggy, drizzly afternoon, and the Skywalker children were all stuck inside their lakeside cottage. Lily was the youngest, ten years old now, and she was closer in age to the twins, Toby and Kiran, who were playing a board game on the living room rug; but Lily wanted to play cards with her older brothers, and OB-1.

"No," Jorah and Ander replied at the same time, though not unkindly. "You cheat," Jorah reminded her good-naturedly. Jorah was the oldest; he'd just turned seventeen, and he looked a lot like their father, tall and slender, with golden-brown hair and blue eyes.

"I can't help it," Lily protested; it wasn't her fault that she could tell when people were bluffing. Ander gave her a quiet, sympathetic smile. He was fifteen, with dark hair and brown eyes; if Lily had to pick a favorite brother, it would be Ander. Jorah was so much older than Lily, and the twins were inseparable, but Ander was different from the others: quieter, smarter, more thoughtful.

Lily had hoped that Ander would stick up for her; but it was OB-1 who came to her rescue. "Aww, let her play," he said sweetly, his blue-green eyes twinkling as he smiled at her affectionately. OB-1 was so adorable; he was sixteen now, and his red-gold hair was cropped short in the same padawan style that her brothers wore, but somehow the little braid and ponytail looked so much cuter on him. Lily gave him an appreciative smile, taking a seat at the table to play with them.

She did her best not to cheat; she even ignored her intuitions a few times, and ended up losing three rounds in a row because of it. But Lily didn't mind; it wasn't like they were playing for real money anyway. Besides, her mom had just brought them all steaming mugs of hot chocolate; Lily had to admit that rainy days inside the cottage were really not so bad, especially when OB-1 was visiting.

Her dad was in a meeting with Master Obi-Wan and the rest of the Jedi Council. They had been meeting a lot over the past two days; Lily had felt the tremor in the Force yesterday, and had asked her father about it. He had told her quietly that a great Jedi Master had just died, far away on the planet Dagobah. The Council wasn't certain if he had transcended, but they had all been trying to contact him; Lily could feel their sadness.

"It's your turn, Lily," Ander reminded her cheerfully.

"Oh!" Lily exclaimed, realizing she had been daydreaming. _Hmm... Which card to play...?_ Suddenly she froze, her heart pounding, her eyes wide open with shock and fear. _Death... So much death... Panic... and alarms, everywhere..._

"Lily?" Jorah asked, concerned. "Lily, what's wrong?"

"AaaaaaaaaAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Lily screamed in terror, tears springing to her eyes. She was shaking uncontrollably, and her brothers rushed to her side now, quickly followed by her mother.

"Lily! Lily, what is it?" they were all asking anxiously, trying to console her. But Lily was too shocked to answer; she could only sit there, feeling the pain, the terror, the death...

"It's happening," Ander said quietly, his brown eyes filled with fear. He had felt it too.

A moment later the alarm sounded throughout the secret base, and even Lily knew what that meant. Emperor Palpatine had been killed, and the galaxy was now defenseless against the invading aliens. Their quiet, rainy afternoon of games was over, and the war had begun.

* * *

><p><em>It's too soon,<em> Padme lamented, fighting tears as she ran through the underground tunnels with her children and OB-1 to meet up with the others in the docking bay. _They're only children,_ she wept, heartbroken. But they had been preparing for this day for the past eighteen years, and there was no time for grief or uncertainty. _These children are the galaxy's only hope,_ she knew. _And this is the day that they will become heroes, or we will all die._

"Anakin!" she cried, running to join him on the far side of the docking bay. They had practiced the emergency drill many times; Padme knew she would only have a moment to say goodbye to her husband and eldest sons before they left, perhaps never to return.

"Padme," Anakin smiled tearfully, kissing her and holding her tight. "It'll be all right," he whispered softly, stroking her hair lovingly, though she knew that was a promise he could not make. But she nodded bravely, managing a tender smile as Anakin hugged Lily and the twins goodbye. Toby and Kiran were only twelve, and it had been decided that they were too young to fight this war.

_They're all too young,_ Padme cried, forcing herself to be strong as she said goodbye to Jorah, Ander, and OB-1. "I love you so much," she cried, kissing each of them on the cheek and hugging them close. "I'm so proud of you. Be safe," she choked, trying desperately not to cry as she gave them a tearful smile. And then they were gone, climbing into the cockpits of their Jedi starfighters and preparing for takeoff.

"Goodbye," Anakin cried softly, hugging her one last time and kissing her quickly; and then with a tender, regretful yet hopeful smile, he was gone too. Tears stung Padme's eyes as she watched him take off across the lake, followed by Jorah, Ander, and thirty Obi clones. They were the second group to launch; Obi-Wan's fleet had already made the jump to hyperspace, and would soon be arriving at the battlefront.

The other Jedi Masters were preparing to launch their own fleets as well, and the remainder of the Obi clones were quickly filing aboard the two Star Destroyers that Anakin had accidentally misplaced during his twenty years of service to the Empire. Darth Vader was always losing things; at least a hundred TIE fighters had mysteriously found their way into the docking bay of the New Republic over the years, as well as dozens of Imperial shuttles, confiscated freighters, and other random vessels.

Padme waited at the edge of the docking bay with Lily and the twins, as Master Tysha said a tearful goodbye to her young daughters. Mari was nine now, and Nyla seven; they were to stay behind with Padme and the other children at the command center. "Goodbye, Mommy," the girls cried, hugging their mother; and then Master Tysha returned to her command post aboard one of the Star Destroyers.

The other Star Destroyer was to be commanded by Bail Organa, who was still in the radio control room; Padme knew she must hurry to relieve him of his duty so that he could take off with his division of Obi clones. "Come," she said to the children, taking Nyla's hand and giving the others a reassuring smile as she quickly led the way through another tunnel toward the command center.

Bail was on the transmitter now, and looked up at Padme gratefully as she arrived. "Admiral Keliam, I must get to my ship now; I'm handing our command center over to my colleague, former Senator Padme Amidala of Naboo," he said, giving Padme a quick, reassuring nod.

Padme breathed a sigh of relief, returning Bail's smile; at least the first hurdle had been overcome. "Admiral Keliam," she said formally, taking over the radio transmitter as Bail took his leave. "I am grateful that you and the remainder of the Imperial army have agreed to join forces with the New Republic against the alien invaders. Our fleet has mobilized and will be joining you shortly," she informed the Imperial Admiral.

A few minutes later the entire Jedi fleet had launched, and Padme and the five children were now alone in the command center. She was grateful to see that Lily and the twins were doing their job of comforting the younger girls, and for the first time she had a moment to think.

_I may never see them again,_ she realized, tears springing to her eyes as she thought of her sweet boys, and her loving husband. But she knew she must be strong; and so far the news was good. The Outer Rim defenses had survived the chaotic moment of Palpatine's death, and the Imperial officers had regained control of their fleet after the Storm Troopers' slave implants had self-destructed, killing them all instantly...

_Oh no,_ Padme remembered suddenly, tears of grief springing to her eyes as she thought of Luke and Leia. The members of the Rebel Alliance had all been implanted with slave devices as well, she realized. Her firstborn children might already be dead.

* * *

><p>Admiral Keliam sighed with relief as he returned to the command bridge of his Death Star. It had been a harrowing twenty minutes, but their defenses had held, and miraculously, reinforcements were now on the way, in the form of five thousand Jedi warriors.<p>

_The Emperor is dead,_ he knew, though the news itself did not grieve him. Admiral Keliam had been stationed aboard his Death Star on the Outer Rim for his entire career, defending the galaxy against alien ships that had been threatening to invade for the past twenty years. He and the rest of the Imperial army had no great love for the Emperor, but they understood his importance all too well, and had long feared this day.

Twenty minutes ago, all of the Storm Troopers had suddenly and instantly died, the slave implants in their brains self-destructing at the moment of the Emperor's death. There had been several minutes of total chaos as the remaining officers had attempted to regain control of the nine Death Stars and seventy Star Destroyers that defended the Outer Rim; they had lost hundreds of TIE fighters in that terrible moment, but the remainder of their fleet was still intact.

_The Empire has fallen, and now the New Republic is making its move,_ he realized. Strangely, he found the news reassuring in this moment of chaos; and with great anticipation, Admiral Keliam gazed out the window of his Death Star, anxiously awaiting the return of the Jedi.

* * *

><p>Blarrg grinned excitedly, drool oozing from his mouth as he saw the chaos before him. <em>They're all dying,<em> he realized, watching the enemy TIE fighters spin randomly through space and crash against the hull of their own Death Star. _This is our chance!_ "Llocussts, to your fighters!" he commanded his men eagerly.

They had been trying to invade this galaxy for twenty years now. The life form readings were off the charts; if they could just get past the outer defenses, they would be able to feast to their hearts' content... But alas, it had proved impossible thus far, and so they had been forced to wait, and watch, and grow very, very hungry.

The Llocussts had already eaten through their own galaxy; it would be at least another millennium before any life forms grew back there. And so now they were poor, homeless, nomadic wanderers, searching the universe for a new tasty galaxy to call home.

They had made some progress over the years, which had given Blarrg hope that perhaps one day they might succeed in their quest. Twenty years ago, they had landed on a small planet on the Outer Rim, and had stopped for a quick snack; but then _He_ had arrived, and driven them back.

_He_ was their leader, their Emperor. _He_ had special powers, and did not simply drop dead as the other creatures did. _He_ had zapped them cruelly with his terrible blue lightning bolts, killing many of Blarrg's friends, and causing the others to flee in terror.

But then, three years ago, one solitary ship from the Llocusst's massive fleet had broken through, and had made it to the Interior. Blarrg had received word that they had reached a planet called Alderaan, and that the people there were sweet, and tender, and delicious; but then he had never heard back from the commander again, and he knew that something had gone very wrong.

But _this..._ This was the most promising turn of events in twenty years. The Llocussts knew they could not get past the enemy's nine Death Stars and seventy Star Destroyers with any of their larger ships; but now that the smaller TIE fighters seem to have self-destructed, perhaps there was a chance they might slip through with smaller, individual fighters. They might even be able to board one of the Death Stars, and destroy it from within... It was worth a try, Blarrg decided, ordering his men to their fighters.

* * *

><p>"Admiral Keliam," Captain Treevo of Death Star Six yelled urgently, his image appearing on the transmission screen. "The aliens have gotten past our Star Destroyers and have landed in the docking bay of this Death Star. We have closed the doors in an attempt to quarantine the area but - aaaagghhh..." he choked, shuddering and crumpling to the floor along with all of his other men.<p>

Death Star Six was lost.

"Death Star Seven," Admiral Keliam said urgently, immediately contacting its captain. "Death Star Six has been compromised. You must destroy it immediately," he commanded.

"Yes, Admiral," the captain responded, giving the order to his men. "But we are under attack as well; we need reinforcements," he pleaded, desperation in his voice.

"The Jedi army should be arriving soon," Admiral Keliam assured him quickly. "I will send backup as soon as I can. But you must destroy Death Star Six now," he urged.

"Yes, sir," the captain nodded anxiously, just before his image vanished.

"Admiral Keliam," came an unfamiliar voice over the radio transmitter. "This is General Obi-Wan Kenobi of the New Republic, requesting permission to board."

"There's no time," Admiral Keliam informed him urgently, grateful for his presence. "General Kenobi, the aliens have boarded Death Star Six; all aboard have died already. They are now attacking Death Star Seven, and perhaps others, with smaller fighters. We need backup right away," he pleaded.

"Very good; we're on it," General Kenobi agreed. A moment later, Admiral Keliam saw a swarm of X-wings and TIE fighters cross his window as the Jedi fleet raced toward Death Star Seven.

* * *

><p><em>That was too close,<em> Obi-Wan thought anxiously, as his Jedi starfighter shuddered in the wake of the explosion of Death Star Six. But as he took a quick look behind him, he was relieved to see that his fifty padawans had weathered the impact, though the ones piloting the less stable TIE fighters were still struggling to regain control. "Well done," he told them reassuringly.

He could see the alien fighters swarming toward Death Star Seven now. "Spread out in attack formation," he instructed the Obi clones quickly. "And shoot at anything black and ugly." The alien ships were made from a dark, heavy type of metal, and were resistant to laser fire, but nonetheless they had vulnerable spots, and the Obi clones were well prepared for this battle.

"Good shot, OB-12!" Obi-Wan congratulated him, as the first of the alien ships exploded, quickly followed by two others. "Excellent work, all of you!"_This is going well so far,_ Obi-Wan realized, breathing a sigh of relief as he watched his padawans systematically destroy the enemy fighters. Obi-Wan's job was to command, and to defend his fleet as needed; but he let his Obi clones do the actual fighting, and smiled proudly now as he watched them shoot down the alien fighters, one by one.

But then he received an urgent transmission from Admiral Keliam. "General Kenobi," the Admiral said, his fear obvious. "Several enemy fighters have broken through to the Interior, and two larger ships are approaching the gap between Death Star Five and Seven," he informed him urgently.

_Anakin, where are you?_ Obi-Wan thought anxiously. "All right; I'm on it," he assured the Admiral quickly. "OB-2 through 30, stay here and defend Death Star Seven," he instructed them. "The rest of you, follow me!"

_I have a very bad feeling about this,_ Obi-Wan thought, his heart sinking as he raced toward the two gigantic alien ships that were now breaking through the gap in the Outer Rim's defense. _Anakin, quit dawdling and get out here NOW!_


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

_Whoa,_ Anakin blinked in surprise, coming out of lightspeed to find himself nose-to-nose with a humungous black alien vessel. _That is one ugly ship._"Pull up!" he instructed his fleet urgently, as all thirty-three of them veered away in their Jedi Starfighters, barely avoiding collision.

"Everybody OK?" he asked hopefully, looking around at his scattered fleet. There were no explosions; that was a good sign.

"Yes!" "Yeah." _"Yes!"_ "Uh-huh." _YES!_ "I think so," came thirty-two voices all at once. _OK, that was a bit disorganized,_ Anakin grinned ruefully, relieved that everyone seemed to be all right. He was in charge of the thirty best clone pilots, as well as his own two sons; his entire fleet was comprised of Jedi Starfighters, and they were the elite force of the New Republic army.

"Good," Anakin said. "And the correct response is 'Yes Master'," he reminded his padawans. Then he noticed two Jedi Starfighters circling around each other at breakneck speed, raining fire all over the enemy ship. "Jorah, OB-1, stop that!" he scolded them. "This is serious!"

Anakin sighed ruefully, realizing that Obi-Wan was right: he was a terrible disciplinarian, and had allowed his padawans to run wild. All of the Obi clones had clamored to join his elite force, knowing that Master Skywalker had a reputation for being fun, and lenient, and easy. _If only they knew I was Darth Vader, maybe they would listen to me,_ he lamented. Unfortunately, the only way Anakin knew how to maintain discipline was to routinely torture and murder his underlings, and he couldn't very well do that with his Jedi padawans.

_They're talented though,_ he had to admit, grinning proudly as he watched them swoop around the two giant ships, killing off the smaller fighters and searching for a weakness in the larger vessels.

"Anakin, where are you?" one of his padawans was asking; he sounded annoyed.

_OK, I've had it with this lack of discipline._ "It's 'Master Skywalker'," Anakin corrected him sternly, looking around for the missing clone. "What number are you?" he asked, confused. _How could he get lost already? Come on, you guys are better than this..._

"Sorry, _Master Skywalker_," the voice replied politely. "Oh, there you are," he said, as Anakin saw another Jedi Starfighter appear from behind the second ship, followed by a small fleet of X-Wings and TIE fighters. _Oops. That was Obi-Wan,_ Anakin cringed.

"Sorry Master," Anakin apologized. "How are we doing?" he asked, swooping closer to one of the ships and attempting to shoot down the shield; unfortunately his laser blasts had no effect.

"We've lost one Death Star," Obi-Wan informed him quickly. "Admiral Keliam is working with us; I need to get back to my fleet. Stay on these two," Obi-Wan instructed Anakin urgently. "Don't let them make the jump to - "

But it was too late; the two alien ships had already vanished into hyperspace.

_Oh, crap._ "Ander, are we tracking those?" Anakin asked urgently.

"Yes Master," his son answered. It was Ander's job to attach homing devices to the larger ships, in case they made the jump to lightspeed.

"Anakin, stay on them!" Obi-Wan commanded quickly. "I'll defend the gap until the others arrive."

"Yes Master," Anakin replied, getting on the transmitter. "Padme," he said urgently, "Two enemy ships have gotten through; I need you to track them," he informed her, shooting down another small fighter. Luckily the third Jedi fleet arrived at that moment, providing reinforcement for Obi-Wan in the huge gap left by the missing Death Star.

_Come on... Come on..._ Anakin thought impatiently, as he and his fleet continued to defend the Outer Rim while they waited for Padme to track the other ships. The alien vessels were large and bulky; their hyperdrives would be fairly slow, and hopefully Anakin's fleet could catch up with them quickly, once they learned their coordinates. In the meantime, the rest of the Jedi fleet had arrived, including the two Star Destroyers carrying the remainder of the Obi clones.

The Obi clones were now being distributed amongst the Imperial fleet, boarding the eight Death Stars and seventy Imperial Star Destroyers, and commandeering any available TIE fighters that hadn't been lost when the Storm Troopers died. There was still an alarming gap where Death Star Six had been destroyed, but the rest of the Outer Rim was once again secure.

Finally Padme contacted Anakin from the command center. "One of the alien ships has come out of hyperspace," she informed him urgently, her voice betraying her anxiety. "Ani, it's just outside Naboo."

_Naboo?_ Naboo was practically on the Outer Rim; the ship hadn't gotten very far at all. _That is one slow hyperdrive,_ Anakin realized, surprised but relieved. "All right, we're on it," he assured Padme, as he and his fleet set their coordinates for Naboo.

Within minutes, Anakin's elite force emerged from hyperspace and once again resumed their assault on the alien vessel. The huge, black ship was heavily armored, and thus far they had not found a weakness. In twenty years the Imperial fleet had found no vulnerability in these larger ships; they could only be destroyed by the Death Star's superlaser. Unfortunately, the Death Stars on the outer rim were stationary; Hideous had been constructing a second mobile one for the Interior, but it wasn't finished yet. Anakin guessed that it had probably been destroyed anyway.

_It's up to us,_ Anakin realized with alarm. If this ship succeeded in landing on Naboo, not only would the entire planet be destroyed, but without a mobile Death Star to put an end to it, there would be no way to prevent the aliens from moving on to another planet, and another after that. _We have to find a way to destroy this thing, before it lands._

Anakin continued to shoot at the alien ship, wondering once again what had become of Luke and Leia. _Did their slave implants explode, along with the Storm Troopers'?_ he wondered sadly, fighting tears of grief. He could feel nothing in the Force; the disturbance from the Emperor's death was still too strong, and unfortunately he had never established a strong connection to his eldest children.

_I hope they're all right,_ Anakin prayed silently, as he and his elite Jedi force continued to swarm around the giant alien ship, evading the enemy's laser fire and constantly searching for a weakness in the vessel's heavy black hull.

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile, on Endor...<em>

_Yay!_ Luke and Leia smiled happily, partying with the Ewoks and the other Rebels as they celebrated the Emperor's demise, totally oblivious to the chaos they had created on the Outer Rim, and the grave danger that now threatened the entire galaxy.

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile, on the Outer Rim...<em>

_Blast,_ Obi-Wan frowned anxiously, as he and his fleet swooped between the gigantic black alien ships that continued to pour through the gap where Death Star Six had been destroyed. The other Death Stars continued to fire at the invading ships, but their range was limited, and several more enemy vessels had broken through the defense now.

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile, approaching Naboo...<em>

_Oh, tasty tasty treats!_ Blarrg thought happily, licking his lips as he eyed the lush vegetation below. The life form readings for this planet were incredibly high; Blarrg and his friends had not tasted fresh meat for many years, and he could hardly believe that they had finally broken through the Outer Rim defense. From what he had heard, humans were delicious, and they died so easily; they could not tolerate the Llocusst's alien biology, and collapsed instantly if they came within fifty yards. This would literally be a picnic, Blarrg smiled happily.

_Huh? What's that?_ he wondered, frowning as he heard blaster fire toward the back of his ship. _Oops... They've found the door,_ he realized anxiously. Then he shrugged. _They can't do anything to us,_ he knew. _Even if they try to board, they'll die within seconds._

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile, just behind him...<em>

"Dad!" Jorah yelled excitedly. "I hit something!" He peered at the perfectly round hole that had suddenly appeared in the ship's hull. "I think it's the door," he said uncertainly.

A moment later his father appeared just off his right wing. "All right!" he said, grinning at Jorah proudly through the window. "Obi-Wan, we've found the door," he radioed back to the others. "It's just behind the ugly bumpy thing on the right side," he informed him.

"Aim for the little grey blob underneath," Jorah explained helpfully. "I think it's the latch."

"Good work," Master Obi-Wan said over the transmitter. "I'm trying it now... Yes, I've got it!" he agreed triumphantly. "It's open!" Then there was a long silence. "Now what?" Master Obi-Wan mused quietly, voicing what they had all been thinking.

Jorah looked over at his father anxiously. They'd found the door, but what good did it do? Jorah and his father had both tried firing into the opening, but it didn't have any effect; the ship had now entered Naboo's atmosphere, and was preparing to land. His father was obviously thinking the same thing; Jorah could see the look of alarm on his face.

"Pull up," his father commanded suddenly. "Everybody pull up! Abort the attack! Get out of here!"

Automatically, Jorah obeyed, wondering what was going on. He pulled up with the rest of the fleet, awaiting his father's next order. Then he heard Ander's voice over the transmitter.

"Dad, no," Ander said anxiously. "NO!" he screamed, terrified. Jorah swooped around just in time to see his father ejecting from his Jedi Starfighter and somersaulting onto the alien ship, activating his lightsaber as he rolled through the doorway.

"No!" Jorah cried, tears springing to his eyes. _Dad... No..._ he wept, heartbroken, as his father disappeared inside the enemy ship, and his Jedi Starfighter spiraled downward to the forest below. _What are you doing,_ Jorah cried, grief-stricken. "Pull up," he commanded the others, choking back tears. Jorah was the eldest, and he was in command now.

"Stay away," he instructed them, realizing what his father was doing. "He's going to try to blow it up from inside," Jorah warned them, desperately blinking away his tears as he and the others raced away from the enemy vessel. _Dad,_ he wept silently. _I love you..._

"What's happening?" Master Obi-Wan asked urgently. "What's he doing?"

"He boarded the ship," Jorah told him, his voice shaking. "What should we do?" he whispered pathetically.

There was a long silence before Master Obi-Wan replied. "Stay away," he told them quietly. "Jorah, tell me what's happening."

"Nothing," Jorah choked miserably, his throat searing with pain. "It's still heading for Naboo... The landing gear is down," he reported tearfully. It had been over a minute, and he knew that his father was surely dead by now.

Then his transmitter crackled, and he blinked in surprise to hear his voice. "Jorah, Ander, everybody, get down here NOW!" his father instructed them urgently. "I need backup!" he yelled, and Jorah could hear the sound of his lightsaber humming. _He's alive!_ "I'm all right; I just need to get to the - " he broke off, his lightsaber humming once again - "cockpit," he finished, as Jorah heard an inhuman screaming sound.

"Get down there!" Jorah commanded the others, grinning with relief. _He's all right! And he's kicking their butts!_ he realized happily. "Ander, OB-1, we're going on first; the rest of you wait until we're on board," he instructed them. Then, flying abreast of the alien ship, he ejected from his Starfighter, flying through the air and activating his lightsaber as he rolled through the round doorway and onto the deck.

A moment later he was joined by Ander, then OB-1; and then they were slashing their way through the ugliest aliens Jorah had ever seen, deflecting their blaster fire and hacking through their crunchy black shells as green slime oozed everywhere. _Why are we still alive?_ he wondered briefly; but there was no time to think. The aliens continued to spill out of the hallways from every direction.

"Cover me!" Jorah yelled to Ander and OB-1, getting on his transmitter. "Everybody, get down here now, we need backup!" he yelled to the other clones. "And tell Master Obi-Wan we're all right - but we need help if he can send anyone," he added quickly, before dropping his transmitter into the puddle of green ooze on the floor and grabbing his lightsaber again, slashing through an attacking Llocusst at the last second.

The ship lurched suddenly, and began spiraling downward at an alarming rate, throwing Jorah and the others against the wall; but then it straightened out again, and a moment later he heard his father's voice over Ander's transmitter. "I've got the controls," his father told them. "How are you guys doing?

"Good," Ander told him, as Jorah and OB-1 covered for him. "The rest of the Obies are coming aboard, is that OK?" he asked urgently.

"No," his father said quickly. "The rest of you, wait! I don't want to lose any more Starfighters if we can help it. We're going back to the Outer Rim to blow this thing up. I'm going to make the jump to lightspeed now; we'll meet the rest of you back there," he commanded.

A moment later they blasted into hyperspace, and Jorah continued to slash through aliens along with Ander, OB-1, and the other clones that had already boarded. There seemed to be no end to them; but a few minutes later he saw his father at the other end of the hallway, his black cloak swirling around as he hacked his way toward them. _He's like five of us,_ Jorah grinned, relieved to see him again. _My dad is awesome._

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile, on the Outer Rim...<em>

_How is this possible?_ Obi-Wan wondered as he sliced his way through a sea of Llocussts along with several of his padawans. He had been horrified to hear of Anakin's stupid, senseless stunt, but miraculously he and the others had survived their assault on the alien vessel, and so Obi-Wan had decided to try it himself. Amazingly enough, he was perfectly fine, even though he had been splattered with green ooze.

For twenty years they had been preparing for this battle, and Obi-Wan had never dreamed that it would be fought with lightsabers. They had of course trained the Obi clones in lightsaber techniques, but their main focus had always been on piloting skills, since hand-to-hand combat against the deadly toxic aliens seemed out of the question.

_It must be the midichlorians,_ he realized, continuing to slash his way toward the cockpit of the alien ship. _It's the only logical explanation._ For whatever reason, the Jedi seemed to be immune to the aliens' biological toxins, and Obi-Wan guessed that it had to do with their high midichlorian count. _I must regroup with Anakin after this, and discuss our strategy with the others._

But the alien ship made the jump to lightspeed before Obi-Wan reached the cockpit. Shaking his head ruefully, Obi-Wan continued to hack through the swarm of Llocussts along with his faithful padawans, wondering where in the galaxy they would emerge next.

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile, everywhere and nowhere...<em>

_One, with the Force, I am,_ Yoda realized vaguely. _Peaceful, it is,_ he sighed luxuriously, enjoying the blissful simplicity of this divine state of being. But then he felt something, pulling him back, tugging at his mind...

_Need me, they do,_ he realized, feeling Obi-Wan and Anakin calling him back. He had felt them calling him for a while now, but had been selfishly ignoring it. _Go to them, I must._ With a regretful sigh, he focused on their presence, allowing them to pull him back down.

_Old, they have gotten,_ Yoda thought, blinking as he saw Obi-Wan appear beside him, then Anakin. _And... Different,_ he realized, vaguely sensing that something wasn't quite right. He could see Luke standing there beside the tree, smiling at him... _Oh no,_ Yoda realized suddenly, cringing in embarrassment as the past twenty years of his life came back to him. _Too many mushrooms, have I been eating._

It was not Obi-Wan and Anakin standing beside him now, he realized; it was Ben and Ken, the amazing transcended Kenobi brothers. The _real_ Obi-Wan and Anakin were halfway across the galaxy... And Yoda could feel the danger everywhere.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

_That's my father,_ Luke thought proudly, smiling as he gazed at the figure that had just appeared next to Ben and Yoda. His father smiled back at him, his expression so kindly and wise; his scars were gone, and he had hair now; Luke thought he looked so handsome and noble in his Jedi robe.

_My dad,_ he sighed happily, still overwhelmed by the day's events. _I wish I could have gotten to know him better..._ Luke smiled wistfully, looking at the ground momentarily. _Perhaps I still can,_ he hoped. Ben still came to talk to him on occasion, though his visits were rare, and usually only when Luke was in grave danger; but perhaps his father would speak to him more often.

With a final smile at the three shimmering Jedi figures, Luke turned back and joined the others, returning to the party the Ewoks had thrown for the Rebels in celebration of the Emperor's demise. But then he felt something... Looking over at the grove of trees once again, he saw Master Yoda holding a hand up urgently, his eyes wide with alarm, beckoning Luke back toward him.

* * *

><p>Han looked over at Luke worriedly. He was standing at the edge of the clearing, facing away from the others, nodding his head and talking to himself as he gazed blankly into the forest. <em>Lando didn't get them all,<em> he realized sadly. He hadn't shared his concerns with Leia, but after Luke's first visit to Dagobah, the boy had returned with what he claimed to be magical mushrooms from a little green person named Yoda; Lando had quickly confiscated the illegal narcotics and had told Luke that drugs were wrong, but clearly Luke still had a stash of them hidden somewhere.

He felt Leia's hand on his shoulder now. "Han, what is it?" she asked gently, peering up at him with concern.

"Nothing," he reassured her, smiling and giving her a kiss on the forehead. But as he held her close against his chest, he looked over at Luke once more, still deeply concerned to see him talking to a grove of trees, a look of deep alarm on his face.

_That kid is tripping out,_ he realized sadly, shaking his head. But in a way it was understandable. He'd just lost his father in the most horrible way imaginable, and it had been a stressful day for everyone, Han admitted. Still, that was no excuse for turning to drugs.

Luke nodded to the tree, bowing politely; then he returned to Han and Leia. His expression was calm, and he was smiling warmly, but Han could see the anxiety in his eyes. "You OK, kid?" he asked hopefully, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Yes," Luke smiled gratefully. Then he turned to Leia. "There's something I need to do; I must go alone," he explained quietly. "I'll be back as soon as I can," he assured both of them. "Han, take good care of her," he said with a wistful smile; then he turned quickly to leave.

"Luke," Leia called after him anxiously, with a worried glance at Han.

"I'll deal with this," Han assured her. "Stay here." Leia nodded, trusting him; then Han chased after Luke through the forest.

He caught up with him halfway to the docking area. "Luke! Where are you going?" he asked, concerned by the boy's drugged state. _I don't want to be having this discussion, but maybe he can get this mushroom problem under control before Leia finds out,_ Han thought hopefully.

"Han, go back," Luke told him. "I don't have time to explain. I must go alone," he said gently. "You will tell Leia that everything's all right, and I just needed some time alone," he added softly, waving his fingers at Han with a regretful look; then he was gone, slipping quietly away through the forest like a black shadow.

Han nodded. "I will tell Leia that everything's all right, and that you just needed some - Hey, you can't do that to me," Han blinked angrily, chasing after Luke and realizing that he had tried a Jedi mind trick on him. _He can't do that to me!_ "Luke! Get back here NOW!"

Sighing, Luke stopped, turning around to face him. "Han," he said quietly. "I was just speaking with Master Yoda. The galaxy is being invaded by poisonous aliens," he explained sadly. "Only a Jedi is immune to their deadly toxins. There is an alien ship heading toward us right now; I must go alone," he told Han. "There is nothing anyone else can do. Go back. Take care of Leia," he begged him softly.

Then he looked into Han's eyes, and this time his gaze was undeterring, his voice insistent. "You will tell Leia that everything is all right, and that there is nothing to worry about," he said, with a wave of his hand.

Han watched Luke slip away through the forest toward the makeshift docking area; then with a regretful sigh, he turned back to rejoin the others. _I will tell Leia that everything is all right, and that there is nothing to worry about,_ he agreed reluctantly. Then he squinted in confusion, looking back at Luke. "Hey!" he realized in utter disbelief. "He did it again!" But it was too late; Luke had already reached the docking area, and was climbing into the cockpit of a rebel X-Wing.

"Chewie!" Han yelled, running toward the Millennium Falcon to chase after Luke. He started it up, and a moment later Chewbacca ran aboard, followed quickly by Leia and Lando.

"What's going on?" Leia asked anxiously.

"I don't know," Han said, preparing for takeoff. "Chewie, track him!" he said urgently. All of the Rebel ships had tracking devices in case they got separated from the fleet, and Chewie identified Luke's X-Wing fighter just as he took off over the forest.

They chased him through the night sky over Endor; but once he was safely away from the forest moon, Luke made the jump to lightspeed and disappeared. Han and the others were forced to wait until he emerged from hyperspace to track his coordinates, but thankfully the _Millennium Falcon's_ hyperdrive was much faster than Luke's; hopefully they could catch up with him before he did anything stupid.

"Han, what was that all about?" Leia asked again worriedly, as they waited.

Han sighed, shaking his head sadly. "Leia," he said quietly, "I didn't want to worry you, but Luke... He has a drug problem," he explained regretfully.

"What?" Leia asked, her brown eyes wide with alarm.

"I'm sorry," Han apologized. "It started a year ago, after his first trip to Dagobah; he brought back some 'magical mushrooms', and told Lando that a little green man gave them to him," he explained sadly. "I'm worried about him," Han admitted quietly. "A minute ago I saw him talking to a tree, but he claims it was the little green man, and that the galaxy is being invaded by poisonous aliens," he continued, shaking his head regretfully. "And that only a Jedi is immune to their deadly poison," he finished, with a little sad laugh.

Leia was horrified; but just then Chewie locked onto the coordinates of Luke's X-Wing, and they made the jump to lightspeed to chase after him.

"So Yoda was all in his imagination?" Leia asked, heartbroken.

"Apparently so," Han nodded regretfully. "Anyway, hopefully the effects will wear off soon; it looks like he hasn't gotten very far," he reassured Leia. "Lando took away his mushrooms a year ago, but I guess he got some more," Han admitted sadly.

Leia nodded. "He just went back to Dagobah again a few days ago," she confessed quietly. "He must have gone back for more mushrooms."

"There he is!" Lando said, spotting Luke's X-Wing as they came out of hyperspace. Then they all saw the giant black alien ship. "What the heck is that?" Lando asked, stunned, as Chewbacca roared angrily.

"I don't know," Han admitted, getting up from his pilot seat. "Lando, come on!" he yelled, climbing down the ladder toward one of the laser turrets. They were being bombarded by laser fire from the enemy ship, and Han quickly shot back, as Chewbacca expertly maneuvered the _Falcon_ around the swarm of smaller fighters that were now chasing them down.

But the alien ship was extremely resistant to blaster fire; it seemed to have no effect, even on the smaller fighters. Han caught sight of Luke's X-Wing at one point, as he flew past the gun turret. _What is going on?_ Han wondered, still firing uselessly at the ugly black vessel. He thought Luke was just having a drug trip, but this alien ship was all too real... And it was now headed for the planet Cerea.

"What are you guys doing here?" Luke asked, his voice crackling over the transmitter. "I told you not to come, there's nothing you can do here! Get out!" he told them, making another pass and shooting at the hull of the giant ship. Then Han saw an explosion, and one of the enemy fighters spun out past his window.

"I got one!" Lando yelled triumphantly. "Aim for the little grey blobby thing near the back," he instructed the others. Sure enough, it worked, and the three of them quickly shot down the rest of the smaller alien fighters. But nothing seemed to affect the larger vessel.

Then Luke's voice crackled over the transmitter again. "I've found the docking bay; I'm going aboard," he announced urgently. "You guys stay back. These things are deadly poisonous, except to a Jedi. I'm going to try to take control of the ship," he said.

"Luke, no!" Leia screamed, and Han looked down to see Luke's X-Wing flying into the large docking bay on the left side of the ship. A moment later he jumped down from the cockpit and onto the deck, lightsaber blazing as he fought against the ugly, insect-like aliens that were now attacking him._That kid is crazy... But he's good,_ Han had to admit.

"Chewie, get us down there!" Han yelled, returning to the cockpit.

"Han, no," Leia reminded him worriedly. "Luke said to stay away, he said they're poisonous, except to a Jedi."

Han shook his head; it made no sense, but on the other hand, he hadn't believed Luke about the aliens in the first place, until he saw them with his own eyes. "All right," he admitted reluctantly, as they all watched helplessly while Luke continued to slash his way through a sea of hideous black aliens.

"He's amazing," Leia smiled wistfully, watching her brother. There was a time when comments like that would have deeply upset Han, but now he simply smiled, nodding in agreement. Luke had nearly reached the far edge of the docking bay now, leaving a pile of oozing dead aliens in his wake; and then he was gone, disappearing through the door and down the hallway.

They waited for an uncomfortably long time, unable to see what was happening but hoping that Luke was all right. Then Leia's expression grew concerned. "He's in trouble," she said quietly, as if in a trance. Then she snapped out of it suddenly, getting up. "Get me down there, I'm going aboard," she announced.

"No you're not!" Han argued anxiously. "Luke said to wait out here. It's not safe - he said only a Jedi could..." he broke off, blinking. _And I'm taking HIS side in this crazy argument?_

"Han, it will be all right," Leia said gently. "I promise. Luke was telling me about it before; it has to do with midichlorians in his blood. He's my twin brother," she explained. "He said that I've got them too, I just haven't been trained, that's all," she reassured him. "I'll be fine," she promised. "Chewie, get me down there," she instructed him.

Han sighed, nodding reluctantly. "I have a bad feeling about this," he said, as they entered the docking bay of the alien ship. But he escorted Leia to the safety hatch, kissing her goodbye as she went to help Luke. "I love you," he said quietly, holding her close.

Leia smiled up at him. "I know," she said simply; and then she was gone. Tears sprang to Han's eyes as he heard the second hatch close. _Please let her be all right..._

"Is she OK?" he asked urgently, returning to the cockpit and looking out the window. Chewie roared optimistically in response; and sure enough, Han saw Leia running through the docking bay, past the oozing alien bodies, apparently unaffected by their poison. Smiling with relief, he sank down in the pilot's seat to wait for her.

But a minute later the three of them looked at each other anxiously. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Lando asked, and Han nodded as Chewie roared in agreement. _This midichlorian talk is just a bunch of superstitious nonsense._ Grabbing their weapons, they opened the main hatch and ran out to help Luke and Leia.

Han ran down the ramp first, and as he had suspected, he felt perfectly fine. "It's OK, come on!" he yelled to the others, running after Leia. But when he glanced back, he saw Lando and Chewie staggering back inside the _Falcon_. Chewie roared for him to come back, his voice cracking weakly as he warned Han that he was closing the hatch.

Han watched the hatch close, blinking in surprise. _What's wrong with them?_ he wondered briefly. But there was no time to think; suddenly a bunch of ugly black aliens entered the docking bay, and he shot at them with his blaster, running behind a docked fighter to take cover from their laser fire.

Then suddenly the entire group of aliens was blasted away by a shot from the _Millennium Falcon,_ and Han looked up into the cockpit, relieved to see that Chewie and Lando were all right, though Lando looked a little sick. Chewie roared at Han to come back, but Han shook his head. "I'm all right!" he yelled, getting up from his hiding place. "I'm going to help the others!" Ignoring Chewie's roars of protest, he ran past the oozing bodies and into the hallway, looking for Leia and shooting at anything black and hideous.

He saw her just around the corner, hiding behind a post as she shot at the aliens. "Han, what are you doing here?" she yelled anxiously, still shooting. "Get back to the ship!"

"No, I'm all right," he assured her, blasting at another alien. "Lando and Chewie stayed behind; they're OK but it made them sick," he admitted, slightly confused. _Why am I all right and they're not?_

Leia looked at him, surprised; then she grinned with relief, and Han thought he saw a sparkle of amusement in her brown eyes. "Come on!" she yelled, running down the hallway to the next corner as Han followed her. "I think Luke went this way!"

* * *

><p>Lando blinked, breathing with difficulty as he and Chewie launched away from the docking bay to get a safe distance from the alien ship. He was feeling a bit better now, but that had been a close call; the hatch had only been open for a few seconds, but he and Chewie had both nearly passed out. "Raaauuughh!" Chewie roared unhappily, still worried for Han.<p>

"He's all right," Lando reassured him. For whatever reason, Han had appeared to be unaffected by the poison, the same as Luke and Leia. Then Lando shook his head, laughing as he realized why. _You crazy old pirate..._

"He's got Jedi blood too," Lando laughed quietly, as Chewie gave him a little questioning roar. "That's why he's such a damn good pilot," he admitted. "And a better shot with that blaster than anyone I know." Then another realization came to him, and Lando sat up, eyes opening wide. "And that's why he always wins at Sabacc... That's how he won my ship!" he realized, outraged. "He cheated! I knew it!"

Chewie laughed with amusement, and Lando sat back, shaking his head. "I hope they're all right," he sighed worriedly. "Because when he gets back here, I'm going to kill him!"

Then they both noticed something odd, and Chewie gave him a questioning roar, pointing. "I don't know," Lando agreed, squinting in confusion at the four little X-Wing fighters that were floating aimlessly off into space, on the other side of the alien vessel. "I think they're abandoned," he said uncertainly. Then Chewie let out a surprised roar, and Lando peered closer, squinting.

"I think you're right," he agreed, stunned. He hadn't seen anything like this since he was a small child, and he had never thought to see one again, let alone four... "Those aren't X-Wings," he realized, grinning with amazement. "Those are Jedi Starfighters!"


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

_This is not good,_ Luke thought anxiously, as he hacked and slashed his way through the endless sea of ugly black Llocussts. _If I don't get to the cockpit before this thing lands, everyone on that planet will die._ Doubling his efforts, he continued to slice through the aliens with fierce determination.

Suddenly he heard an explosion down the hallway, followed by an inhuman shrieking sound. Turning to look, he saw the Llocussts scattering in all directions, away from a pile of their hideously fried comrades next to where a hole had just appeared in the outer hull of the ship. _Han,_ Luke realized, grinning happily. _He's done it! He's found a way to blast through the hull of this thing!_

_I'd better get out of the way,_ Luke decided worriedly, wishing he had a comm link to warn Han that he was right there. But just as he was turning, he caught a glimpse of something in the corner of his eye: a tumbling blur of black and iridescent blue, rolling in through the opening.

It was a man, Luke realized in shocked surprise, forgetting to fight the aliens for a moment as he stared at the stranger. He was tall and lean, dressed all in black, wielding a blue lightsaber which he was now using to chop through aliens with a deadly yet elegant ferocity. _He's a Jedi!_ Luke realized in disbelief, defending himself at the last second against the Llocussts which he had momentarily forgotten in his stunned stupor.

When he finally managed to look back, the man had been joined by two others, and a third was now rolling in through the opening. _How is this possible?_ Luke wondered, glancing back at them as he continued to fight against the aliens. The newcomers were just young teenage boys, and the three of them fought together, hacking their way down the hallway away from Luke. But their leader was headed toward him now, his lightsaber a deadly blur of swirling blue as he left a pile of dead, oozing aliens in his wake.

_He's heading for the cockpit too,_ Luke realized, wondering briefly if he should hide. This man was better with a lightsaber than Ben and Vader combined, Luke admitted reluctantly, awestruck by the stranger's deadly skill. He looked fierce too; his lean, battle-scarred face was set in an attitude of grim determination, and his eyes blazed dangerously as he sliced through the aliens. If it came to a fight against this man, Luke knew that he would not stand a chance.

But whoever this stranger was, thankfully he seemed to be on Luke's side in this battle against the aliens. He made it look so easy, too; he fought with a speed and intensity that Luke had never before witnessed, yet his movements were graceful and elegant. _That is a true Jedi Knight,_ Luke realized, watching him in amazement. He had almost caught up with him now; Luke continued to hack against the aliens, his heart racing nervously as he tried to figure out what to say to this man. _I can't tell him I'm Darth Vader's son,_ he realized anxiously. _At least not yet..._

Luke had been hiding in an alcove, backed against the wall as he fought against the aliens, but the stranger was upon him now, and stopped in his tracks when he saw Luke, staring at him with a look of surprised disbelief. "Luke?" he asked, momentarily stunned; then he broke into a relieved grin, his blue eyes sparkling happily. "What are you doing here? Is Leia all right?" he asked anxiously, peering at Luke with deep concern.

_He knows us?_ Luke blinked, stunned. "Yes," he stammered, "She's all right, she's waiting outside, on the ship... Behind you!" Luke yelled urgently, drawing his lightsaber as the Llocussts renewed their attack.

But the stranger absently reached out a hand and slammed the aliens back against the wall, ignoring them for the moment while he peered at Luke in curious disbelief, as the stunned Llocussts fell to the floor, twitching and struggling to their feet again. "How did you get on the ship?" he asked, squinting in confusion as he looked back at the hole where he had entered.

"I came in through the docking bay," Luke told him. _Isn't that the obvious way to board a ship?_

The stranger blinked, surprised. "There's a docking bay?" he asked, spinning around to deal with a couple of the straggling Llocussts, then throwing the rest against the wall again. "Where is it?" he asked hopefully.

"Near the back of the ship, on the left side," Luke told him. "There's a little grey bump..."

The stranger grinned suddenly, obviously pleased by the news. "Hang on... Cover for me," he said casually, pulling out his transmitter as Luke hacked against the attacking Llocussts. "Master," he said into his transmitter, "There's a docking bay in the back, on the left side. Look for a little grey bump," he told him. "Luke found it," he added with a cheerful grin at Luke, his blue eyes twinkling approvingly. _Who the heck is this guy?_ Luke wondered again, fighting for dear life against the advancing aliens while this stranger chatted calmly with his friend.

"Luke is there with you?" the voice on the transmitter asked, pleasantly surprised. Luke could hear the other man's lightsaber humming in the background, along with an all-too-familiar crunching, splattering sound interspersed with inhuman shrieks.

"Yeah, he says Leia's here too," the strange Jedi added happily. "They're all right! I'm going to - oops, gotta go," he said abruptly, clipping his transmitter back on his belt and quickly slashing against the Llocussts. "We'd better get to the cockpit," he told Luke urgently, as they continued to hack their way toward the front of the ship.

They made it to the end of the hallway, and the stranger pointed quickly to the doorway, causing the blast doors to close. After that, it only took a minute to finish off the rest of the aliens in the cockpit and take control of the ship. "Finally," the strange Jedi sighed with mild annoyance, sitting in the pilot's seat and wrinkling his nose in disgust as he wiped a blob of green ooze off his black cloak.

"Hang on," he said gently, giving Luke an apologetic glance as he picked up his transmitter again. "Ander, how are you guys doing?" he asked hopefully, his expression slightly worried.

"Good!" came a teenage boy's voice, along with the sound of lightsabers and dying aliens.

"All right," the man said into the transmitter. "I'm going to make the jump to light speed... Wait," he said, letting go of the button and looking at Luke hesitantly. "You said Leia's here? Where is she?"

"She's outside the ship, on the _Millennium Falcon,_ Luke told him.

"Can you contact her?" he asked nervously. "We have to take this thing back to the Outer Rim to blow it up," he explained.

Luke shook his head regretfully. "I didn't bring my transmitter... It all happened so fast," he apologized.

"Oh," the man nodded. "Well, we'll catch up with her later I guess," he sighed ruefully. Luke sensed something strange; it was almost as if the man were somehow relieved to not have to talk to Leia right now.

_Who is he?_ Luke wondered again, staring at the mysterious black-cloaked Jedi as he prepared for the jump to light speed. He appeared to be in his early forties, with somewhat long, unruly golden-brown hair and dark blue eyes; he would have been handsome if his face were not so badly scarred. "Sir," Luke said hesitantly, as the man looked up at him from the console, his expression surprised and guarded, yet not unkind. "I'm sorry, I just... I didn't get your name," he apologized lamely.

"Oh," the man said, blinking. He looked suddenly uncomfortable. "It's... complicated," he apologized nervously. "Luke, I - " He broke off as his transmitter crackled, and Luke sensed that he was grateful for the interruption. "Sorry," he apologized sincerely. "Yes?" he asked, picking up his transmitter again, with another apologetic cringe at Luke.

"Ani, another ship has broken through," a woman's voice said anxiously. "It just made the jump to lightspeed; I can't get through to anyone else right now, do you think you guys can take it?" she asked hopefully.

_Annie?_ Luke blinked, baffled by the man's name. _That's not complicated, that's just... kind of girly,_ he realized, suddenly understanding the man's reluctance to introduce himself. _Poor guy,_ he thought sympathetically. _He must have gotten beat up a lot at school,_ he guessed, seeing the stranger's scarred face. But he quickly dismissed the idea; regardless of his name, this man was a battle-hardened warrior. _He's a real, live Jedi Knight,_ Luke realized once again, awestruck. And those scars were not caused by school children.

* * *

><p>"This way!" Leia yelled urgently, running toward the next corner. She and Han had been slowly making their way through the ship's hallways, running from one corner to the next and covering for each other as they blasted at the attacking Llocussts.<p>

But suddenly a huge swarm of them began to spill in from the adjacent hallway, and Leia instinctively took cover behind a structural column as Han shot out the controls to the blast door, sealing it instantly. "That ought to hold them for a while," he said uncertainly, as they continued to shoot at the remainder of the aliens.

Unfortunately, it wasn't just the one door that Han had sealed shut. As Leia looked back the way they had come, she saw now that their only exit had been sealed off. "Great job," she congratulated her brilliant boyfriend. "Now we're trapped."

* * *

><p>"OB-1!" Jorah yelled in alarm, instinctively reaching out a hand and Force-pushing his friend out of the way, an instant before the blast door slammed shut.<p>

"OB-1, are you all right?" Ander asked anxiously into his transmitter, as Jorah covered for him against the attacking Llocussts. "OB-1!" But there was no answer, and he and Jorah looked at each other in alarm, as they continued to fight against the aliens.

* * *

><p>"I'm fine," OB-1 replied into his transmitter, after he had finished off the aliens in his section of the hallway. "But I'm stuck in here," he admitted, looking up at the ceiling for a way out. "Where are you guys?" He waited for a moment, but there was no reply.<p>

"Ander? Jorah? Hello?" Frowning, OB-1 looked down at his transmitter, to see that it was covered in green ooze, and the microphone had been eaten away by the toxic slime. Sighing ruefully, he calmly proceeded to cut a hole in the ceiling with his lightsaber, then Force-jumped up into the ventilation crawlspace to go look for his friends.

* * *

><p>"Dad! Dad, we lost OB-1," a boy's voice yelled over the transmitter, and Luke blinked in surprise as the stranger instantly cut off his other conversation, his expression deeply alarmed. <em>Those are his children?<em> Luke wondered, incredulous. _Jedi aren't allowed to marry..._ But he was touched by the boy's name. _Obi-Wan... Maybe he knew him... Maybe he knew my father,_ Luke thought wistfully.

"What happened?" Annie asked urgently, his blue eyes filled with grief; clearly he cared deeply for his children.

"All the blast doors suddenly shut; he got trapped on the other side, we can't get to him," the boy yelled anxiously. "He's not answering on the transmitter," he added. "How do we open the doors?" Luke could hear the hum of their lightsabers as they fought desperately against the aliens.

"Hang on, I'm coming!" Annie yelled, running from the cockpit. But the blast door was sealed, and he and Luke were trapped as well. There was a wild look of alarm in his eyes as he stormed back toward the controls. "There's got to be a way to release the doors," he told Luke urgently. "Keep looking for it!"

Luke obediently searched the control panel for any kind of switch that looked like it might release the doors. _Use the Force,_ he reminded himself, searching his feelings and forcing himself to remain calm. He sensed something familiar, and looked around the cockpit now, surprised and confused._Is there a Gong-Gong droid in here?_ he wondered absurdly. Then he shook his head, dismissing the bizarre thought and focusing on the task at hand.

* * *

><p>"What is it?" Han asked gently, seeing Leia's thoughtful expression as they waited in the hallway where they were trapped.<p>

She smiled at him gratefully. "Luke's all right," she told him quietly. "I can feel it. And..." She shrugged apologetically. _I shouldn't say this stuff; it makes him uncomfortable._

"What?" Han asked, curious.

Leia sighed, shaking her head. "My father is with him," she told him. She felt his presence now, and it was strangely comforting and familiar. "It's true," she told Han quietly. "The things that Luke sees... People who have passed on... It's real," she said softly.

Han nodded, accepting it. But then he grinned mischievously. "You sure he hasn't given you any mushrooms?" he teased her, and Leia laughed good-naturedly. They were trapped in the hallway of an alien ship, and she knew she ought to be afraid; but somehow she felt calm, and peaceful, and knew that everything would be all right.

It was the same feeling she'd had when she witnessed the destruction of Alderaan. That had been the most terrible day of her life, and her beloved adoptive parents had died in the explosion; yet somehow she had sensed that it would be all right. She had felt her father's presence that day too, as he stood behind her, and it had been oddly comforting in that terrible moment. _There was still good in him,_ she realized now, though she hadn't understood it at the time. _I felt it that day. He felt sad about what he was doing._

Suddenly there was a humming sound above them, and they both looked up, startled, to see the tip of a green lightsaber cutting through the ceiling in a circular pattern. "Luke!" she exclaimed happily, as an agile figure dropped neatly down to join them.

But it wasn't Luke; it was young teenage boy, slight of build, in a white Jedi outfit. He had sparkly clear green-blue eyes, and his reddish hair was cropped short, with a little braid on one side. "Who are you?" Leia asked, staring at him in stunned disbelief.

The boy looked a bit shocked to see them as well, but he quickly masked his surprise, bowing politely. "I'm OB-1," he said cheerfully, his blue eyes twinkling as he gave Leia an adorable smile. Then he cocked his head, squinting at them with curiosity. "Who are you?"

* * *

><p><em>Come on! It's got to be here somewhere!<em> Anakin thought frantically, trying to find the switch to release the blast doors. _Please, let them be all right..._A few minutes ago things had seemed to be going well; Obi-Wan and the others were holding the Outer Rim, and this was supposedly the last ship that had gotten through the defense. Anakin had taken Jorah, Ander, and OB-1 in the last four Starfighters to race out here, leaving the rest of his padawans to take the previous ship back to the Outer Rim for destruction. Everything had been under control, until a moment ago.

But now, his padawans were trapped and surrounded by Llocussts, and he couldn't get to them. And OB-1 was lost. So far there had been no casualties in this battle; the Obi clones were doing amazingly well, with only a few minor injuries here and there. _Please let him be all right,_ Anakin prayed miserably. _We can't lose OB-1._ Aside from his own affection for the boy, Anakin was well aware of his youngest daughter's feelings, and he knew that if OB-1 died on his watch, he could add one more name to the growing list of his own children who would hate him forever.

And to make matters worse, Luke was right here next to him now, and Anakin couldn't think of a thing to say to him. He had dreamed of this moment for the past twenty years, but now that it was happening, he was terrified. Leia was waiting just outside on the _Millennium Falcon;_ Anakin desperately needed his eldest children's assistance in getting to the next ship, but he dreaded facing Leia. _The last time I saw her I drugged her stupid and blew up her home planet,_ he remembered. _Plus now she thinks I tortured her boyfriend, thanks to Ken,_ he realized miserably. _And who knows what that psychopath did to Luke..._ Anakin had noticed his son's black-gloved hand, and he blinked back tears now, desperately searching for the controls to the blast doors. _I am the worst father in the galaxy._

But suddenly Luke sat up straighter, looking up from the ship's computer and glancing at the control panel anxiously. "Ani, I think I've found it," he said, punching some buttons. _Ani?_ Anakin blinked, caught off guard. _Why is he calling me that?_ Then he remembered his conversation with Padme, and that he hadn't even introduced himself properly yet. _Oh, this is off to a great start,_ he sighed unhappily.

But the blast doors suddenly opened, and Anakin grinned at Luke with pride and gratitude. "You did it!" he said, patting his eldest son awkwardly on the shoulder as he got up to help the younger ones. "Stay here; man the controls," he instructed Luke quickly. "I'll be back as soon as I can," he promised. "Thanks, Luke," he added with an apologetic smile, as he ran out to help the others.

_Well I completely screwed that up,_ Anakin berated himself tearfully as he ran through the hallway, slashing angrily against the Llocussts in frustration. _And I'm sure it will go even worse with Leia,_ he realized miserably. _But they're alive,_ he smiled happily. _They're all right..._

* * *

><p>"I'm Leia," Leia smiled affectionately, introducing herself to the sweetest, most polite teenage boy she had ever met. "And this is Han. Obi-Wan," she mused thoughtfully. "Are you related to Obi-Wan Kenobi?" she asked, curious.<p>

"Um," the boy shrugged good-naturedly. "Yes... Kind of," he said, with a little apologetic grin. But just then the blast doors opened again, and Llocussts began to spill into the hallway. OB-1 immediately turned around and began slashing through them with his green lightsaber. "Come on!" he yelled, covering for them as Leia and Han ran behind him, taking shots when they could. "This way!"

* * *

><p><em>And that's the fourth,<em> Lando grinned happily, retrieving the last of the Jedi Starfighters with his grappling hook and towing it back to the docking bay of the alien ship. The aliens had stopped firing at them several minutes ago; hopefully that meant that Luke, Leia, and Han now had control of the ship. In the meantime, Lando and Chewbacca had busied themselves with the task of retrieving the four Jedi Starfighters that had been drifting aimlessly off into space.

_I wonder where these came from,_ he thought again, puzzled. He had always wanted to try flying one, ever since he was a boy. _Maybe if we all get out of here, I'll get my chance,_ he thought wistfully. _That is, after I'm done killing Han for being a Jedi and not knowing it,_ he laughed again.

"Han," he said, calling him on his transmitter. "You're not going to believe what I found out here." He'd spoken with him a few minutes earlier; Han and Leia were trapped in a sealed-off hallway at the moment, but it appeared that Luke had control of the ship, since it had turned away from the planet of Cerea and was now returning back the way it had come.

"I'm kind of - busy - right now," Han yelled, in between blaster shots. Lando could hear the hum of lightsabers and the shrieking of aliens in the background. "What is it?"

"Four Jedi Starfighters," Lando told him, beaming proudly. "They're in perfect condition!"

"Good!" Han yelled, still firing his blaster. "'Cause I've found their owners... They want them back!"

* * *

><p>"Dad, who were those people?" Ander asked over the transmitter, as the four of them took off in their Jedi Starfighters.<p>

"I'll explain later," Anakin promised his son, as they prepared to make the jump to lightspeed to meet up with the final alien ship that Padme had just tracked. _I'll explain that you have an older brother and sister I never told you about... And that I am the most hated man in the entire galaxy,_ he sighed ruefully. Then he shook his head. _If I can't talk about this stuff to my younger children who actually LIKE me, how will I ever explain things to Luke and Leia..._

_I can't do this,_ he realized unhappily. They had escorted Han and Leia back to the cockpit, and had left the three of them to take the alien ship back to the Outer Rim to be destroyed. Anakin had commanded them to contact the leader of the New Republic for further instructions when they arrived, but he had seen the confused looks on their faces; they wanted to know who he was, and what was going on. After everything they had been through, they deserved answers; but now Anakin regretfully admitted that he could not be the one to tell them.

The alien ship had already made the jump to lightspeed, along with the _Millennium Falcon,_ and Anakin shook his head ruefully as he called up one of the commanders on his transmitter. "Yes, Anakin," Bail Organa responded immediately from his post aboard one of the Star Destroyers.

"Bail, I'm sending back the ship from Cerea, it should be there in an hour or so," Anakin told him. Then he sighed. "Luke and Leia are aboard," he informed him.

"Are they all right?" Bail asked anxiously. Leia was his adoptive daughter; he hadn't seen her in three years, and they had all been worried that she and Luke had been killed yesterday along with the Stormtroopers because of their Rebel slave implants.

"Yes, they're fine," Anakin assured him, grinning happily. "We met up with them by accident; there was no time to explain anything. They're very confused," he told Bail. "I was hoping maybe you could talk to them," he finished apologetically.

"Of course, Anakin," Bail assured him gently. "I'm glad they're all right," he said, his relief audible. "Do you want me to tell them everything?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yes," Anakin sighed, nodding. "It's time for them to know," he decided regretfully. "Thank you, Bail," he added, with quiet gratitude.

"You're welcome," Bail said warmly. "And don't worry, Anakin. Everything will be all right," he promised.

_Thank you,_ Anakin sighed sadly, shaking his head with regret. _They might hate me forever, but they deserve to know the truth. At least they're safe..._ Then he focused on the next task. "Are we ready?" he asked his three faithful padawans.

"Yes Master!" they all replied eagerly, and Anakin couldn't help grinning. _I love you guys._

"All right, let's go," he said happily, as they blasted off into hyperspace to take on yet another enemy alien vessel.

* * *

><p>"Who was that?" Leia asked, sitting in the cockpit of the alien vessel with Han and Luke, as they traveled through hyperspace to meet up with a mysterious group called the New Republic on the Outer Rim.<p>

"I don't know," Luke sighed, shaking his head. "But those were real Jedi," he grinned again, incredulous. "Did you see them? Even the kids - they were better than Vad - " he broke off, shaking his head quietly. "I don't know who they were, but Annie seemed like a nice guy. I like him," he decided.

"Annie?" Leia asked, surprised and amused. "That guy's name was Annie?"

Luke laughed, shrugging. "Apparently. He never really introduced himself properly," he admitted ruefully.

"Well," Leia said, "Hopefully whoever we meet up with at the Outer Rim will have some answers for us," she sighed, shaking her head as they waited for the ultra-slow alien ship to make the journey through hyperspace.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

"Yoda was wrong," Luke mused quietly, sitting with Leia in the cockpit of the alien vessel while Han guarded the doorway. "He said that only a Jedi was immune to their poison," he admitted reluctantly, as they watched Han blasting at the Llocussts that were still trying to attack them.

Then he sighed sadly; it wasn't the first time the old Jedi master had misled him. Yoda could be so wise at times, so insightful, so powerful in the Force, and yet at other times he could giggle and carry on like an insane person. When Luke had first met him, Yoda had rummaged through Luke's belongings, yelling "Mine! Mine! Mine!" and beating Artoo with a stick. Luke suspected it was the mushrooms; Yoda had given him some, claiming that they had magical powers, but Luke had not dared to try any, after seeing the effect they had on the wise old Jedi master.

"Actually," Leia said hesitantly, with a confused glance at Han, "I don't know why it doesn't affect him; Lando and Chewie nearly passed out instantly when they opened the hatch."

"Really?" Luke asked, blinking in surprise. "So that means he's - no," he said, staring at Han in disbelief.

Leia's brown eyes sparkled humorously. "Don't tell him," she laughed softly. "It would kill him."

Luke nodded, sharing a conspiratorial grin with his sister. _What a strange week this has been,_ he realized once again. Only a few days ago Luke had believed that he was the last of the Jedi; but then Ben had told him about Leia, and now suddenly it seemed that there were even more of them out there, that Yoda and Ben hadn't even known about.

_Who was he?_ Luke wondered again, recalling his meeting with the strange Jedi named Annie. And what was this New Republic? Annie had been in communication with several other people over his transmitter, and Luke guessed that they were the ones in charge of this war against the aliens. But why had the Rebel Alliance never heard of them?

"We're coming out of light speed," Leia warned them, as the blur of stars outside their window came to a sudden stop. Then they both gasped in horror at the sight before them.

It was a Death Star, surrounded by the largest fleet of Star Destroyers they had ever seen, with TIE fighters patrolling every inch of the perimeter. And in the background were at least a dozen more black alien ships, much like the one they were flying.

"It's a trap!" Leia exclaimed anxiously.

"No," Luke protested unhappily, though he feared his sister was right. _No..._ He had trusted Annie! He had looked up to him, and admired him, both as a fierce Jedi warrior, and as a caring father to his teenage boys, who obviously adored him... And he had lied to them! He had sent them straight here, into the hands of the Imperial fleet. _You must take this ship to the Outer Rim to be destroyed,_ he had instructed them vaguely, and Luke realized suddenly that he meant for _them_ to be destroyed along with it.

_He lied to me,_ Luke realized, hurt and betrayed. "No," he repeated stubbornly. "Annie said we were to contact someone from the New Republic, on this frequency," he reminded Leia, picking up his transmitter.

"All right," Leia agreed reluctantly, shaking her head. "But I have a bad feeling about this," she said apprehensively, staring at the Imperial fleet before them, and the aliens beyond.

_So do I,_ Luke agreed silently. But he steadied himself, summoning his courage as he contacted the New Republic. "This is Luke Skywalker, returning an alien vessel for destruction. I was told to contact the New Republic," he said, realizing how stupid that probably sounded, considering they were surrounded by a fleet of Imperials.

"Excellent," came a voice over the transmitter. "This is Admiral Keliam; yes, we have been expecting you," he informed them. "I'm sending a shuttle to meet you in the docking bay."

_"Admiral?"_ Leia asked apprehensively, after the transmission broke off. "That was an Imperial Admiral? I don't like this," she said anxiously, as they fought their way through the seemingly unending swarm of Llocussts on their way to the docking bay.

They reached the docking bay just as an Imperial shuttle was landing. Luke was covering for Han and Leia with his lightsaber, shielding them from the Llocussts' fire, but as he glanced back at the shuttle, he was somewhat relieved to see Annie's son, Obi-Wan coming down the ramp.

"Obi-Wan!" Leia exclaimed, smiling with relief at the boy.

"Um... No," the boy grinned apologetically, calmly deflecting a shot from the aliens' blasters before giving them a quick, polite bow. "I'm OB-4387," he introduced himself, smiling cheerfully as he was joined by five other identical red-headed boys.

"Clones," Han whispered to Luke and Leia urgently. "The Emperor's been making Jedi clones!" He began to raise his blaster at the freakish newcomers, but Leia stopped him.

"Han, no," she said quietly. "They're only children." Reluctantly, Han nodded, lowering his blaster, and Luke watched in amazement as the six clone boys quickly ran past them, lightsabers blazing as they headed for the cockpit, hacking through aliens as they ran.

_What is going on?_ Luke wondered apprehensively; then he stared in shock as their leader emerged from the shuttle. He was dressed like Ben, in an off-white tunic, brown boots, and a brown cloak, with a lightsaber hanging from his belt. His hair and beard were reddish-brown, streaked with silver, and cropped in the same style as Ben's; but his eyes... Luke gasped as the recognition hit him. _What kind of psychopath clones himself?_

Glancing at Han and Leia, Luke saw that they shared his distrust of this strange newcomer, and instantly all three of them attacked the man. Luke rushed at him with his lightsaber, as Han and Leia fired at him with their blasters; but the Jedi easily deflected their fire and quickly confiscated their weapons, drawing their blasters toward him with the Force before disdainfully casting them down onto the floor.

"I don't want to fight you, Luke," the man said quietly, as they circled each other, lightsabers blazing, while Leia and Han looked on in alarm. "My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi, and I am a friend of your father's," he explained gently. "He asked me to meet you here."

_Liar!_ Luke thought hotly. _Ben is dead, and so is my father!_ "I don't know who you are," Luke replied dangerously, still circling the traitorous Jedi. "But if you think we will come with you willingly, you are gravely mistaken," he warned the imposter.

The strange man laughed with quiet amusement, his blue-green eyes twinkling. "Oh no, my young Jedi," he apologized gently. "You will find that it is you who are mistaken, about a great many things." Luke was caught off guard to see a look of affection in the man's eyes, but something about him was disturbingly familiar; this man reminded him of someone else, and it wasn't Ben, or his freakish clone boys...

_The Emperor!_ Luke gasped, staring at him. This strange Jedi reminded him of Palpatine! He looked nothing like him, but his presence felt very much the same, though Luke sensed none of the Emperor's darkness... Still... _The Dark side is full of deception,_ he reminded himself, eyeing the man's Jedi outfit, so similar to old Ben's. "You're not Ben," he accused the imposter angrily. "And you never knew my father!" he yelled, swinging at him with his lightsaber.

But the older Jedi easily deflected his blow, tossing him aside effortlessly. "You're right," he admitted sadly. "I'm not Ben. But I do know your father, and when he finds out I've been fighting against his children, he will be very cross with me," the man sighed ruefully. "Please, come," he said, nodding toward the shuttle. "In case you haven't noticed, there's a war going on out there, and I need to get back to it," he smiled regretfully. "I just want to get the three of you to safety. I promise you, all will be explained. Now come," he instructed them.

Luke shook his head hesitantly, sharing an apprehensive glance with Leia and Han. _If he really knew my father, he would know that he is dead now._But it appeared that this strange Jedi did not want to fight them, and so reluctantly Luke nodded, deactivating his lightsaber and following the man aboard the Imperial shuttle, along with Han and Leia.

"What is going on?" Leia demanded, as the strange Jedi who claimed to be Obi-Wan Kenobi flew them away from the alien ship and toward the docking bay of a nearby Imperial Star Destroyer. "What are those things?" she asked, looking out at the fleet of black alien vessels.

"Those are Llocussts," the man explained. "They have been attempting to invade the galaxy for the past twenty years. The Emperor was the only one holding them back, until now," he told them regretfully. "Am I correct in assuming that the three of you had something to do with his sudden demise?" he asked mildly. Then, seeing their stubborn refusal to answer, he laughed gently. "Not to worry," he assured them. "The Emperor was no friend of mine either," he told them quietly.

"But... You knew my father?" Luke asked, desperately trying to understand.

"Yes," the man nodded. Then he looked at Luke, his expression curious yet regretful. "I take it Darth Vader is dead then?" he asked quietly. He seemed saddened by the realization.

Luke nodded sadly. This man _did_ know his father, and grieved to hear of his death; Luke liked him a bit more already. "Yes," he told him gently. "He killed the Emperor though," he added, hoping the man would take that as good news.

The man smiled in surprised disbelief. "Did he?" he asked, incredulous. Then he nodded, a bit teary-eyed. "Good for him," he said quietly, with a wistful smile. _Yes, I like him,_ Luke decided, grateful that someone else in this galaxy mourned his father's passing. _And I liked Annie too,_ he realized now, trusting in his feelings. _These are good people._

But Leia was still skeptical. "Where are you taking us?" she demanded, as they landed inside the Star Destroyer's docking bay.

"To talk to someone who can give you some answers," the man assured her gently, as he lowered the exit ramp. "Someone who will be very glad to see you," he added quietly, smiling wistfully at Leia. As they exited the shuttle, Luke saw a tall man approaching to greet them, dressed in fine clothes, with greying hair and a little goatee.

"Dad?" Leia asked, her voice catching. Startled, Luke turned to his sister now, and saw a look of utter disbelief in her eyes. Her expression was shocked, and betrayed, but then she smiled suddenly in tearful relief, running to his arms and crying as he held her close.

"It's all right, Leia," her adoptive father assured her gently, kissing her on the forehead, his eyes misting over with tears. "I have missed you," he cried softly. "Your mother is all right," he told her quietly, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder, as Leia smiled happily despite her tears. "Come," he said, smiling warmly, with a polite nod to Luke and Han. "There is much that we need to discuss."

Luke began to follow them, then looked back at his father's Jedi friend hesitantly. There was so much more he wanted to ask him, and he realized now that he had behaved terribly. "I'm sorry, about before," he apologized lamely, now wishing he hadn't attacked the man.

But the strange Jedi smiled cheerfully. "That's quite all right," he said, his eyes twinkling good-naturedly. "I'm sorry I can't stay, but I hope to talk to you soon. Shall we call it a truce then?" he asked hopefully.

Luke grinned apologetically, with a quiet laugh. _I like this guy._ "Yes," he agreed humbly, grateful for his forgiveness.

The man nodded cheerfully, with a polite bow of his head. "May the Force be with you," he said formally, smiling at Luke; and then he was gone, climbing quickly into the cockpit of his Jedi Starfighter and launching off into the chaos beyond.

"Dad, what happened?" Leia was asking now, as they walked through the hallway of the Star Destroyer. "I thought you were on Alderaan when it was destroyed."

"I was," Bail Organa nodded quietly. "At least, right before it happened. Leia, Alderaan was invaded by Llocussts; half the planet was dead already, when Governor Tarkin blew it up. It had to be done, to prevent the aliens from spreading to other planets," he told her gently.

Leia's eyes were wide with shock and dismay, but she nodded, accepting it. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, as the four of them entered a small conference room and sat at the table together. "I thought you were dead," she choked sadly, betrayed.

"I would have," Bail said gently, "But you had already joined the Rebel Alliance by then. Leia, you don't know the danger you've been in... All of you," he said sadly, looking at Luke and Han as well. "The Rebel Alliance has been infiltrated by Imperial spies from the very beginning. It's likely that all three of you have slave devices implanted in your brains; we were terrified that you would be killed along with the Storm Troopers when the Emperor died," he told them.

"What?" Leia asked, as they all instinctively felt the back of their heads, trying to locate the device.

Bail laughed ruefully. "Yes," he said, "But it appears the danger is past. And you have your father to thank for that," he added, with a regretful look at Luke as well. "He kept the Rebel Alliance safe from Tarkin and the Emperor for twenty years," he told them.

"He did?" Leia asked, squinting in confusion. "He was protecting us?"

"Yes," Bail said gently. "Your father is one of the founding members of the New Republic, and he has been an invaluable asset to our cause," he informed them. "Without his help we would never have had an inside connection to the Empire."

"He was a secret agent," Luke realized, heartbroken. "He was loyal to the Jedi all along." _And he sacrificed himself to save me in the end._ Luke could barely hold back his tears. _My father was a hero._

Bail nodded. "Yes," he agreed. Then, seeing Leia's look of utter confusion, he smiled apologetically, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I should start at the beginning," he said gently.

Luke listened along with Han and Leia as Bail Organa told them of his father's life; how he had been taken in by the Jedi as a young slave boy, and studied under Obi-Wan Kenobi - the man they had met today, and not old Ben, as Luke had previously thought. Luke had so many questions; much of what Ben had told him had been vague, and already proven wrong, he admitted. Ben had originally told him that Vader betrayed and murdered his father; Luke realized that he had not told him the whole truth. What Bail was now telling them made so much more sense, and he listened quietly, without interrupting.

Bail told them of how their father had fallen in love with their mother when he was nineteen, and still just a padawan learner. Marriage was forbidden for Jedi in those days (but apparently not any more, Luke gathered) and so his parents kept their marriage a secret for three years; even Obi-Wan did not suspect the truth.

"But then your father made a terrible mistake," Bail told them sadly. "A mistake which he deeply regrets, and has spent the rest of his life trying to undo," he said. _He speaks as if he's still alive,_ Luke realized. _He hasn't heard that he's dead._ But Luke didn't have the heart to tell him right now, so he simply listened. "Your father is a good man, and he has a good heart, but he has always been impulsive, and passionate," Bail continued regretfully. "Palpatine used that against him, and turned him to the Dark side, just before the two of you were born," he said quietly.

_So it's true,_ Luke realized sadly, his heart sinking. He had hoped that it was all a lie, and that his father had never betrayed them. _I forgive him though,_ Luke smiled wistfully, recalling the kindly look in his father's eyes as he had died. Then Bail explained how Luke and Leia had been sent into hiding as infants, to protect them from their father, and the Emperor.

"At that point Obi-Wan and I formed the Rebel Alliance, in the hopes of one day overthrowing the Emperor, and Vader," Bail continued. "We thought that Anakin was lost to us, and we were all heartbroken by his betrayal. But then one day, five years later, he secretly paid a visit to Obi-Wan, warning him that the Rebel Alliance was infiltrated with Imperial spies, that its security had been irreparably compromised, and worst of all, that the galaxy was being threatened by these invading aliens," Bail explained, with a rueful glance out the window.

"That was when Obi-Wan and I withdrew from the Rebel Alliance, and founded the top-secret New Republic, along with Anakin and Padme," he told them gently, with an apologetic smile at Leia. "Your mother withdrew to our new secret base, and both of your parents wanted to take you with them, and raise you from that point," he explained. "But those were dangerous times, and in the end they decided that you would be safer and happier staying where you were," he told them regretfully. "In retrospect, they probably should have taken you, but they were doing what they thought was best for you," Bail assured them. Then he shook his head, laughing ruefully. "They never dreamed that you would grow up to join the Rebellion; when they learned of it three years ago, they were horrified," he told them, eyes twinkling with humor.

"She's alive?" Leia asked in disbelief, tears in her eyes. "My mother...?"

"Yes," Bail smiled gently. "She's alive, and well; in fact, the two of you have five more little brothers and sisters now," he informed them cheerfully. "Your parents have missed you terribly, and have been looking forward to this day for a very long time," he said quietly.

Leia nodded, and she and Luke shared a tearful smile at the thought of seeing their mother. _My mother's alive,_ Luke realized wistfully. _My real mother! And I have other little siblings..._ Then his heart sank. _They will all hate me when they learn of what happened to our father._

But Leia was still trying to understand what was happening. "The Rebellion never knew of these aliens," she said quietly, with a guarded, somewhat reproachful look at Bail. "Why didn't you tell us?"

Bail sighed sadly. "No one knew of the aliens, aside from a few Imperial officers stationed here on the Outer Rim, and the members of the New Republic, thanks to Anakin's connection with the Empire. The Rebel Alliance had no security whatsoever; if they had been allowed to know about the aliens, the news would have leaked out to the general population, and the Emperor would then have been forced to deal with the ensuing chaos, rather than focusing his strength here on the Outer Rim, where it was so desperately needed," he explained quietly.

"As much as we all despised Palpatine, those of us in the New Republic understood his importance," Bail continued. "And our plan from the very beginning has always been to overthrow him eventually, and restore the Republic, and the Senate," he assured them. "But thanks to you, it has happened a bit sooner than we expected," he grinned ruefully. "Sixteen years ago we made the decision to create a clone army, in preparation for this day," he explained quietly. "As you have seen, they are still only boys, and not fully-trained Jedi Knights yet, but they have done amazingly well nonetheless," Bail smiled gratefully.

"So it's true? They're all clones of this - Obi-Wan?" Han asked worriedly.

"Yes," Bail nodded. "And it was a difficult decison, one that we did not make lightly," he assured them. "But trust me, if there is anyone in this galaxy that you would want five thousand more of, it's Obi-Wan Kenobi," he smiled, a humorous twinkle in his dark eyes. "The boys are incredibly well-behaved, and polite, and extremely gifted," he told them. "And without their help today, half the galaxy would be dead by now," he finished quietly, as the others nodded, sobered by the thought.

Then his transmitter crackled, and Luke recognized Obi-Wan's voice. "Bail," he said urgently. "The remainder of the alien force is making its final assault. The Death Stars have shot down most of them but a few have already slipped through; we need everyone out here immediately!" he told him.

"Very well," Bail said quickly, getting to his feet and instantly giving orders over the Star Destroyer's loudspeaker. A moment later, hundreds of Obi clones were running through the hallways and launching from the docking bay in whatever smaller fighters and shuttles were available.

"Come on!" Han yelled to Luke and Leia, running back to the docking bay without waiting for orders. They piled into a shuttle along with several Obi clones, and a minute later they were aboard one of the enemy ships, blasting and slicing their way through a swarm of hideous black Llocussts. This was the final battle, the aliens' last desperate assault, but the Jedi army fought with deadly efficiency, and within an hour the battle was over.

There was victorious cheering all around as Luke, Leia, and Han were shuttled back onto to a different Star Destroyer this time, lost in the shuffle amidst a couple thousand Obi clones. But before they could contact Bail Organa, their ship made the jump to lightspeed, and soon they were arriving at the base of the New Republic, touching down over the sparkling lake and entering the secret underground docking bay.

Luke emerged from the Star Destroyer along with Han and Leia, and was relieved to see Obi-Wan in the docking bay, amidst the chaos of five thousand clones. Obi-Wan waved to Luke now, smiling cheerfully as he came over to greet them. "Hello there," he said warmly. "I see you've had your share of fun," he observed with light-hearted amusement, noticing the slimy green spatters all over their clothing. "I take it Bail explained to you, about your father?" he asked hopefully.

"Yes," Luke smiled wistfully. A small fleet of Jedi Starfighters arrived at that moment on the far side of the docking bay, and Luke was happy to see a familiar black-cloaked figure hopping down from the cockpit and joyfully embracing his wife and younger children; Annie and his sons had returned safely. "I wish I could have gotten to know him better though," he admitted sadly.

"Well, there will be plenty of time for that now," Obi-Wan reassured him cheerfully, patting him on the shoulder.

Luke nodded regretfully. _I meant that I would have liked a little more time with him, before he died. But it isn't everyone who gets to talk to their dead father,_ he conceded sadly. "I saw him, on Endor," he said quietly. "I hope he comes to me again soon."

Obi-Wan looked at him, puzzled. "On Endor?" he asked, confused.

"Yes," Luke smiled gently. "I saw him, with Ben and Yoda," he explained. "He transcended," he told Obi-Wan proudly.

"He - what - oh dear," Obi-Wan said, blinking. Then he laughed, shaking his head. "It seems everyone is transcending these days," he grinned in amazement. "But that wasn't - that wasn't Anakin," he told Luke gently, peering at him uncertainly. "Bail didn't tell you?"

"No," Luke said, dismayed. "That wasn't my father?" _What is going on?_

Obi-Wan shook his head, laughing ruefully. "No," he sighed, with an amused, regretful smile. "That was my brother, Ken. Ben was my brother as well; Bail didn't get to that part, did he?"

"No," Luke said, now deeply confused. "Ben said - he said he was you," he told Obi-Wan uncertainly.

"Yes, I know," Obi-Wan sighed. "I'm afraid they were both rather confused," he told Luke. "But come," he said, smiling warmly at Leia and Han. "Let's find someplace a bit more private where we can talk." They followed him down a hallway and into a small conference room, and Luke listened in utter disbelief as Obi-Wan told them the strange tale of Ben and Ken Kenobi, as well as Master Yoda and his mushrooms.

"So... My dad _wasn't_ Darth Vader?" Luke asked, utterly confused by now. _Ben said Vader killed my father; Yoda said he WAS my father; Bail seemed to think so too, and now Obi-Wan is saying he wasn't, after all?_

"No, he _was_," Obi-Wan said gently. "Up until three years ago," he told them. "But then after the two of you joined the Rebellion, I pulled him out of there. I couldn't have him in a position where it was his job to hunt down his own children. In fact, he lost the first Death Star because he was too busy trying to save the two of you," Obi-Wan smiled regretfully.

Leia nodded, lost in thought. "I felt it," she said quietly. "That day, when he destroyed Alderaan. I felt that he was sad; he didn't want to do it."

Obi-Wan nodded. "Your father feels terrible about some of the things he has done," he said quietly. "He's afraid that the two of you will hate him forever," he sighed regretfully. "And he has made some very bad mistakes, it's true," he conceded. "But he's a good man, and we all love him," he said, smiling tenderly. "I hope you can forgive him, and your mother, for not being there for you," he pleaded gently.

"Of course," Leia said softly, and Luke nodded in agreement, joyful tears springing to his eyes.

"They're really alive?" Luke asked hopefully, hardly daring to believe it. _My mom and dad? After all these years..._

Obi-Wan smiled. "Yes, your parents are alive and well," he reassured them gently. "And they're very proud of both of you," he added.

"Wait a minute," Han said. "So this - Anakin - isn't the one that froze me in carbonite?" he asked.

Obi-Wan cringed apologetically. "No, I'm afraid that was my brother, Ken," he admitted regretfully.

Leia squinted, still confused. "What was with the suit? And that helmet? I heard he was... Some kind of mutant," she said worriedly.

Obi-Wan laughed quietly, amused. "No, he's not a mutant," he assured them, smiling sadly. "That suit was the Emperor's doing, though I'm afraid I was the cause of it," he admitted softly, his expression pained. "When we first learned that your father had turned to the Dark side, I was sent to kill him," he told them sadly. "I didn't want to - I couldn't, in the end," he said, shaking his head. "But I'm afraid he was hurt very badly, and - " he broke off, tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry," he apologized, struggling to compose himself.

"He lost... both his arms and legs," Obi-Wan continued painfully, not looking at them. "And he was burned very badly. He would have died that day," he said quietly, "but the Emperor saved him, and constructed the suit to keep him alive. His lungs were destroyed from smoke inhalation, and for a long time he was unable to breathe without a ventilator," he explained sadly. "But he's much better now," Obi-Wan assured them, with a tender smile. "Your father is very strong, and he has recovered more than anyone had ever hoped," he told them proudly.

Luke nodded gratefully, saddened to hear of his father's injuries and poor health, but overjoyed to finally meet him. "I want to see him," he blurted out suddenly, with a tearful smile. "Is he here?" he asked hopefully. _He probably wasn't well enough to fight in the battle..._

"Yes," Obi-Wan smiled, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "He's here. In fact, you've already met him," he said mysteriously.

"We have?" Luke asked, blinking in confusion. _No, I would have known... The only other person I've met was..._ "Oh," he breathed quietly, tears springing to his eyes. _Annie... Ani... Anakin... Anakin Skywalker..._ "That was him?" Luke cried in happy disbelief, unable to hold back the tears. _He had other kids, and a wife... He's such a great dad... And he's so young, and healthy,_ Luke realized suddenly, smiling tearfully.

"Yes," Obi-Wan said gently. "That was Anakin, and Jorah and Ander are your brothers," he told them, as Luke and Leia shared a tearful smile. "Your parents are very excited to see you, but I told them I'd give them time to talk to the younger children first," Obi-Wan apologized. "They don't know about the two of you, and they don't know about Vader; I'm not sure if Anakin is ready to tell them yet," he explained gently, and Luke and Leia nodded, agreeing to keep it a secret from the younger children.

Then Obi-Wan smiled at Leia. "But your _other_ mom and dad are also eager to see you," he reminded her. "Perhaps the three of you can visit the Organas first, and get cleaned up a bit, and by that time hopefully your parents will be ready for you," he finished cheerfully.

Luke smiled gratefully as they stood up to leave. "Thank you, Obi-Wan," he said sincerely.

"You're very welcome," Obi-Wan replied, his blue-green eyes twinkling as he gave them a friendly, polite nod. "And now if you'll excuse me, I've got five thousand children of my own to attend to," he grinned ruefully, showing them out into the hallway.

Luke, Leia, and Han were given a warm, loving welcome by the Organas, and Luke smiled blissfully to see his sister happily reunited with her adoptive parents. They washed up a bit, and then had dinner together, though Luke and Leia were both too excited to eat much. But finally, as the first stars began to appear in the night sky over the tranquil lake, Bail showed them to the front door, smiling with encouragement as he pointed the way down the moonlit path that led to the Skywalker cottage.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

"I'm so nervous!" Luke said, grinning excitedly at Han and Leia as he led the way down the forest path to the Skywalker cottage.

"So am I," Leia agreed, though her smile was wistful. Han put an arm around her, kissing her reassuringly on the temple. _I'm nervous too,_ he decided, as they walked together. _My girlfriend's father is Darth Vader._

The Organas had given them such a warm welcome. Han had been painfully aware that they were the former King and Queen of Alderaan, and that he was just a smuggler, or at best a common freighter pilot; but Bail and his wife had accepted him immediately, and had treated him as an honored guest in their home. _I won't be as lucky this time,_ he sighed ruefully. _The last time I met this guy, I shot down his TIE fighter._

He had hoped that Chewie and Lando would have arrived by now, along with the rest of the Rebel fleet, providing him with a convenient excuse not to meet the Vader family; but alas, they were not here yet, and so as Han approached the doorstep with Luke and Leia, he smiled bravely, resigning himself to his fate.

"Are we ready?" Luke asked nervously, glancing back at Leia and Han as he reached a black-gloved finger toward the doorbell.

"Ready as we'll ever be," Leia replied anxiously, stepping up to the door beside Luke.

"All right," Luke said bravely, pushing the button. Han tried not to laugh; in the three years that he had known them, he had never seen Luke or Leia so nervous. _I'm in no position to criticize,_ he admitted, hiding behind the two of them and suddenly feeling very awkward. _Why am I even here?_

They could hear the sound of voices inside the cottage as the doorbell rang. "I'll get it!" came a little girl's voice, happy and cheerful. Then there was a loud thud, followed by a yelp of pain, as Luke, Leia, and Han shared a slightly worried glance.

"Ow! Lily, you were supposed to be holding that up!" came a boy's voice, sounding more annoyed than hurt.

"Sorry!" the little girl apologized, her voice sounding closer to the doorway now. "I forgot!" Then the door opened, and Han found himself staring at the most adorable ten-year-old girl he had ever seen in his life. She had beautiful brown eyes and dark hair done up in loopy braids, and she was wearing a little white Jedi outfit, similar to what the Obi clones wore, with a delicate string of pink and white seashells around her neck. _She looks like a little miniature Leia,_ Han thought, smiling in wonder at the gorgeous child.

"Hi!" she said cheerfully, inviting them inside. "I'm Lily!" she told them simply.

Luke and Leia shared an excited grin. "Hi Lily," Luke said, smiling warmly at his little sister. "I'm Luke."

"I know," Lily said, grinning happily. "And you're Leia, and you're Leia's boyfriend," she added, her brown eyes sparkling mischievously as she grinned shyly at Han. "Come on in," she said casually, as they stepped into the little kitchen. Their home was a small cottage, similar to the Organa's; if Han hadn't known that most of the secret base was underground, he would have wondered how a family of seven could fit in such a tiny home.

Just past the kitchen was a cozy living room area, and Han was slightly surprised to see building materials heaped in the middle of the rug. _I guess they're doing some renovations,_ he decided, hearing the sound of hammering and boys' voices coming from the next room.

"Um," Lily continued hesitantly, "Mom and Dad are... um... taking a nap," she explained apologetically. Han had good intuitions about people, and he could tell the girl was lying. But then a door in the hallway opened, and Anakin practically fell out of it, quickly buckling his belt, followed by a petite, dark-haired woman who was nervously tying her hair back in a simple knot. "Oh, there they are!" Lily smiled cheerfully.

Her parents looked momentarily surprised and embarrassed, but they quickly covered it, smiling happily as they rushed over to greet their children. "Luke! Leia! Hello," their mother cried wistfully, her eyes glistening with tears as she greeted them.

"Hi," Anakin grinned shyly, looking nervous and apologetic. "Sorry, we were..." Han was grateful he didn't finish that sentence; judging by their disheveled appearance and slight breathlessness, he knew exactly what they had been doing. But he smiled politely, pretending not to notice and for once grateful for Luke and Leia's oblivious naivete.

Then the happy reunion began. Luke and his father were hugging each other all misty-eyed like a couple of girls, while Leia and Padme held each other, crying... Then they traded off, and there were tearful hugs all around, while Han stood there feeling incredibly awkward.

He smiled at Lily now, who was looking up at him curiously. "I didn't know you were a Jedi too," she grinned, surprised and delighted.

"Um... I'm not," Han told her, with a nervous smile.

"Yes you are," Lily insisted cheerfully. "I can tell these things," she assured him confidently.

_Great. A psychic kid,_ Han sighed. But he smiled politely as Leia's mother finally took notice of him. "Han," she smiled, greeting him warmly. "I'm Padme. It's so nice to meet you," she said sincerely, and instantly Han realized where Leia's innate leadership ability came from. This woman had been a Queen, and a Senator, and had even taken on Darth Vader; Han found himself in awe of her quiet dignity and social graces, not to mention her still-ravishing beauty. Padme was in her late forties now, and her long, dark hair was touched with silver, but she was still strikingly gorgeous.

_What is she doing with this freak?_ Han wondered, as Padme graciously introduced him to her husband. "Nice to meet you," Han said nervously, shaking Vader's black-gloved, robotic hand and trying not to stare at the scarred, ruined disaster that was his face.

But to his surprise, Leia's father seemed equally nervous about meeting Han. "It's nice to meet you too," he said with formal politeness, and Han was caught off guard by his obvious attempt at a pleasant smile, and the glimmer of hopeful apology in his fierce blue eyes. _He wants to be friends with me,_ Han realized, baffled. _This guy could choke me to death in a second, and he's worried about what I think of him?_

"Come on in," Anakin said with a shy grin, leading the way into the living room. "Sorry about the mess," he added, glancing ruefully at the pile of debris in the middle of the floor. "We had a slight... weapons malfunction," he explained with an apologetic cringe, as Han looked up at the gaping hole in the ceiling that gave way to the starry sky above.

"What happened?" Leia asked, horrified and amused at the same time. Just then two identical twelve-year-old boys appeared on the rooftop, wielding hammers and nails and peering down through the hole at the newcomers with curious apprehension.

"Toby, Kiran, come on down and meet your brother and sister," Padme said, as the boys obediently set aside their hammers and dropped lightly down into the living room, their expressions apologetic.

"These two geniuses were trying to make a black lightsaber," Anakin explained ruefully, glancing at the hole in the ceiling and decidedly charred appearance of the surrounding furniture.

"We weren't _trying_ to make a black lightsaber," one of the boys protested. "That's just how it turned out... For a few seconds... Before it exploded," he shrugged ruefully, looking at the floor.

"Yeah, well, this is why we don't play with lightsabers in the house," Anakin scolded them gently.

"We weren't playing with it; we were _building_ it," the other boy explained innocently.

"Yeah, yeah," Anakin grinned good-naturedly, tousling his son's blond hair and patting the other boy's shoulder reassuringly. "Anyway, lesson learned, right? No black lightsabers," he said emphatically, in a stern, fatherly tone, as Han blinked in utter disbelief. _Leia's family is completely and totally insane,_ he realized. _But I love them,_ he decided, grinning happily as he was introduced to the twins, before they were immediately sent back up to continue their work on the roof.

"Sorry about that," Anakin apologized again, taking a seat in an old, beat-up armchair and indicating for the others to make themselves comfortable. Han sat next to Leia on the couch, and Luke perched on a rickety, half-upholstered footstool across from them, leaving the rocking chair for Padme. Lily squeezed cheerfully in between Han and Leia, looking up at both of them with a happy grin.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Padme said, getting up again. "Would you like some tea, or coffee? Or hot cocoa?" she asked politely.

"Cocoa!" Lily yelled, bouncing excitedly. _Yeah, this kid needs more sugar,_ Han thought ruefully.

"Tea would be wonderful," Leia said politely, as Luke and Han nodded in agreement.

"All right," Padme smiled warmly, going to the kitchen. But just then one of the wooden boards on the floor started levitating upward; Han blinked for a moment in dazed disbelief, realizing too late that it was headed straight for Padme's head. But thankfully Lily saw it too, and quickly reached out a hand at the last second, using the Force to shove it away. Unfortunately, it then flew across the room and out the window, shattering the glass. "Aaaaah!" Padme yelled, ducking and instinctively crouching on the floor, covering her head with her hands. "What was that?"

"Lily, what did you do that for?" one of the twins asked angrily, appearing on the rooftop above them. "I needed that!"

"Yeah, well you almost hit Mom," Lily retorted. "Watch what you're doing!"

"This is all your fault," Padme informed Anakin with mild annoyance, recovering what was left of her dignity as she got up from her duck-and-cover position on the floor and continued into the kitchen to make tea. Anakin glanced balefully at the broken window, shaking his head and sighing ruefully as he ran a black-gloved hand through his shaggy hair.

"Want to see my new lightsaber?" Lily asked brightly, quickly changing the subject.

"Sure," Luke grinned, as Lily ran to get it.

"It's purple," she told them proudly. Then she looked at her father hopefully. "Can I - just for one second?" she asked hesitantly. "I won't hit anything, I promise."

"No lightsabers in the house!" Padme yelled from the kitchen.

Anakin grinned, shrugging apologetically. "You can show them outside," he told her, getting up and leading the way onto the front deck overlooking the lake as Han, Leia, and Luke followed.

"See?" Lily grinned happily, activating her lightsaber. "Purple! I just made it today," she told them proudly.

"You made that?" Leia asked, impressed.

"Yeah," Lily said cheerfully. "It was boring in the command room," she shrugged. "So we made lightsabers instead," she explained. "What color are yours?" she asked them, eyeing Luke's with curiosity.

Luke grinned good-naturedly, showing her. "Oooh, green!" Lily exclaimed happily. "Just like OB-1's! I made him a new one though," she told them shyly. "I hope he likes it." Then she smiled at Luke. "Come on, let's play!" she said, challenging her brother to a duel. "You have to go easy though," she grinned cheerfully. "I'm not really that good."

"All right," Luke agreed, smiling as he fought carefully with his little sister while Anakin looked on with barely-concealed anxiety. Han didn't know much about lightsaber fighting, but it was obvious even to him that Lily's form was perfect, and her quick movements were much more controlled and graceful than Luke's. "Wow," Luke said, amazed. "Where'd you learn to fight like that?" he asked her, incredulous.

"I don't know," Lily shrugged cheerfully. "Master Obi-Wan, I guess," she told him, smiling shyly. Then she turned to Leia and Han. "What about you, what color do you guys have?" she asked.

Leia smiled good-naturedly. "Oh, we don't have lightsabers," she told her sister gently. "We're not really Jedi," she explained.

"Yes you are!" Lily insisted. Then she brightened as an idea came to her. "Hang on!" she said, running back inside, as Han and Leia grinned at each other with amusement. Anakin and Luke were now mock-dueling on the deck beside them, and had apparently traded lightsabers; Luke had a blue one now, and Anakin was showing him some new techniques.

"Here you go!" Lily said happily, returning with two rather small lightsaber hilts. "I was trying to make them for my friends, Mari and Nyla... They don't really work," she apologized sadly. "But they're pretty!" she assured them brightly.

Leia smiled. "OK, how do I do this?" she asked, as Lily showed her how to activate it. "Oooh," Leia exclaimed, as it lit up. "It's white! And it's so little! I love it," she said, admiring it. "Thank you, Lily," she said, smiling warmly at her little sister.

"You're welcome," Lily said happily. "I never made a white one before... I guess that's why it doesn't really work," she explained ruefully. "See?" Before Leia could react, Lily passed her hand straight through the lightsaber's pure white glow, and nothing happened. "It tickles a little bit," Lily giggled. Then she turned to Han. "That one doesn't do anything at all," she apologized sincerely.

"No?" Han asked, activating his lightsaber and blinking in surprise at the soft pink glow, as Leia quickly turned away in a desperate attempt to hide her laughter from her little sister. But nothing got past Lily; she saw Leia's reaction, and politely tried not to giggle herself.

"You're holding it wrong," she explained to Han, turning it over in his hand so the button was by his thumb. "There," she smiled cheerfully, nodding in approval. "That's perfect!"

"Oh... Thank you," Han said politely, managing a grateful smile. "It's beautiful," he assured her. _Now I have my very own little pink lightsaber. I'm a real Jedi now,_ he thought sarcastically, waving it around experimentally. _Still... This is kind of fun..._ Han couldn't help grinning, and Lily beamed happily at him now, delighted that he liked her present.

Lily was instructing Han and Leia in the fine art of fake lightsaber fighting when Padme appeared on the deck with a tray full of hot mugs. "Yay, cocoa!" Lily exclaimed happily, taking her mug as Padme passed the rest of them out to the others.

"Thank you," Han smiled gratefully, as Padme handed him a mug of tea. Luke and Anakin were too engrossed in their lightsaber duel to stop, and so Han, Leia, Padme and Lily sat out on the deck, chatting and looking out over the lake while Anakin and Luke practiced nearby.

"Jorah and Ander wanted to have dinner with the Obi clones," Padme apologized to Leia. "We haven't had a chance to tell them about you and Luke yet," she added regretfully. "They should be back soon, though."

"Yes, they're on their way," Lily agreed absently. _This kid senses everything,_ Han realized with amazement. Sure enough, Lily grinned at him mischievously, sensing his thoughts. "Not _everything,_" she assured him, rolling her eyes. Then she smiled brightly. "OB-1!" she exclaimed happily, running back inside the house to greet the newcomers.

"Jorah! Ander! Guess what?" she was saying now. "Luke and Leia are here! And Han! Come on!" she told them excitedly, leading them out to the deck. "Hi OB-1," she added, with a shy smile.

Anakin and Luke stopped their lightsaber practice and came over to join them, as Padme introduced Jorah and Ander to their older siblings. The boys were completely baffled, but smiled good-naturedly, quickly accepting the newest additions to their crazy family.

Han watched with quiet amusement as Lily approached OB-1 shyly, giving him the lightsaber she had made for him. _What color is this one,_ Han wondered, still laughing at his little pink lightsaber. But the one Lily had made for OB-1 was blue-green, and apparently fully operational.

"Wow," OB-1 smiled, admiring it. "I've never seen one this color before," he said appreciatively.

"I hope you like it," Lily said shyly. "I made it specially for you... It matches your eyes," she told him quietly, with a hopeful smile.

"I love it," OB-1 assured her, his eyes twinkling affectionately. "It's perfect. Thank you, Lily," he said softly, giving her a tender hug.

Lily smiled happily. "Come on, let's play!" she said, activating her purple lightsaber as OB-1 good-naturedly fought against her. But then she stopped suddenly, cocking her head. "Someone's coming," she announced, looking up at the night sky over the lake.

Sure enough, a moment later Han saw lights approaching from the distance, and he recognized the familiar glow of the _Millennium Falcon_ as it led the rest of the Rebel fleet into the underground docking bay. "The Rebel Alliance is here," he told the others, excusing himself politely. "I'd better go meet them."

"I'll come with you," Luke said, coming over to join him, and Leia nodded, following them. There were hugs all around as they took their leave of the Skywalker family, and Anakin showed them to the underground tunnel that led to the docking bay.

"I'd come too, but... I'm not sure how well that would go over," Anakin apologized, cringing regretfully. Luke shook his head shyly, and Leia just laughed good-naturedly as they hugged him goodbye.

"It'll be fine, Dad, don't worry," Leia assured him, tenderly kissing his relatively unscarred right cheek, her brown eyes twinkling affectionately. Anakin smiled gratefully, hugging her gently; and then they left to meet the Rebels.

Han grinned quietly, following behind Luke and Leia as they chatted excitedly about their parents and little siblings. _Who would have thought,_ he laughed to himself, shaking his head. _The Vaders are about the nicest people I've ever met._


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

"Chewie! Lando!" Han grinned happily, greeting them in the docking bay as Leia met up with the other leaders of the Rebel Alliance and Luke joined Wedge and his other friends. "What took you guys so long?"

Chewie roared in greeting, but Lando shook his head, laughing. "Look at you. Just 'cause you killed a couple thousand overgrown cockroaches, you think you're some kind of Jedi now?" he teased good-naturedly, eyeing the lightsaber on Han's belt.

_Oh crap._ Han had forgotten about it, but he shrugged now, evading the question as he chatted with Chewie and Lando. But then Leia came over to join them, and of course Lando had to comment on her lightsaber as well.

"Yes, isn't it great?" Leia agreed happily, pleased that Lando had noticed. "My little sister made it for me... Look, it's white," she demonstrated, activating it to show Chewie and Lando.

"It's beautiful," Lando assured her, with a charming smile. "Han, let's see yours."

Han shook his head. "Nah," he shrugged casually. "It's no big deal really... I don't want to be a show-off."

"Oh, come on, Han, go ahead," Leia insisted, with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

"Yeah, let's see it," Lando urged, as Chewie roared in agreement.

_May as well get this over with._ Rolling his eyes in exasperation, Han pulled the lightsaber off his belt and activated it, as Lando and Chewie nearly hyperventilated from laughter. Then, in one lightning-quick movement, Han brought it up to Lando's throat, at which point they both immediately developed a healthy respect for the weapon. _This thing doesn't work... But they don't need to know that,_ Han decided.

"All right, all right," Lando said nervously, raising his hands. "Watch where you point that thing!" With an annoyed glare at all three of them, Han retracted his lightsaber and clipped it back on his belt, as Leia dutifully tried not to laugh.

"Come on," she said gently, putting a hand on Han's arm and smiling affectionately. "The fireworks are about to begin."

The beach was swarming with Obi clones when they arrived, and so the members of the Rebel Alliance retreated to a forested area at the edge of the lake to watch the fireworks. Han was about to take a seat next to Chewie and Lando on a fallen log when he caught Leia's meaningful glance as she nodded toward a more secluded area on the ridge above them.

"Sorry," she apologized quietly as they slipped away from the others. "I just wanted to be alone for a little bit. It's been a crazy day," she sighed wistfully, with a tender smile at Han as she took his hand, leading the way up the path.

Han nodded, grateful to be included in Leia's definition of 'alone'. She had been through a lot today, and when they reached the ridge above, Han sat quietly next to her, leaving her to her thoughts. It was a chilly night, so he put an arm around her, and she smiled at him gratefully before returning her gaze to the fireworks over the lake as they sat together in silence.

"They're amazing, aren't they?" she asked softly, a few minutes later.

"Yes," Han agreed simply. He'd seen fireworks a hundred times before, but everything was more amazing with Leia beside him.

She smiled. "Not the fireworks... My family," she said, her brown eyes glistening in the moonlight. "My mother is just the way I remember her, except... Happier," Leia smiled fondly. "And my father... I love him," she said wistfully. Han nodded in agreement, stroking her shoulder gently as he held an arm around her. "And the kids," she continued, her eyes twinkling happily. "They're all so adorable! All of them," she marveled. "That was so nice of Lily to make us lightsabers," she smiled tenderly, activating hers and admiring its pure white glow.

"Yes, it was," Han agreed with a warm smile, as Leia lay her head against his shoulder, still admiring her little white lightsaber. "I want that," he said suddenly.

Leia rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "Fine," she sighed in annoyance, handing it to him and taking his pink one.

"No," Han protested, blinking. "Well.. yeah," he admitted reluctantly, "But Lily would hate me forever," he decided ruefully, trading back again. "I meant..." he sighed, shrugging. "I want _that,_" he said quietly, gazing at the cozy, warm glow of the Skywalker cottage across the lake. "I want crazy Jedi kids who save the galaxy from giant bugs, and blow up the living room trying to make black lightsabers," he told her, hardly believing what he was saying. "And I want a beautiful wife who will love me, no matter how old and ugly I get," he grinned shyly.

Leia looked up at him in surprise. "Really?" she asked softly, her expression tender and hopeful.

Han nodded quietly. "Really," he said wistfully. "I never thought so before, but... I do," he admitted.

Leia gazed at him lovingly for a long moment, and they kissed beneath the stars. Then she sighed, giving him a friendly, platonic pat on the back. "Well, good luck with that," she teased him, with a mischievous gleam in her brown eyes.

Han laughed, pulling her close and kissing her affectionately on the temple. _She isn't going to make this easy for me,_ he sighed ruefully. _But that's what I love about her,_ he realized once again. _And one day, I will get up the courage to ask her to marry me._

But as they sat together in silence, gazing out over the shimmering, moonlit lake while fireworks sparkled against the starry night sky, Han realized that an opportunity like this might not come along again for a very long time. _Just ask her,_ he told himself stubbornly. _Before you get frozen in carbonite again, or roasted by Ewoks, or attacked by giant cockroaches._

"Leia," Han asked softly, his heart fluttering nervously as he gently took her hand in his. "Will you marry me?"

Leia smiled, tears glistening in her eyes as she nodded happily. "Yes," she cried, kissing him tenderly, then sighing contentedly as she lay her head against his shoulder once again. "I love you," she said wistfully, gazing out across the lake once more.

Han smiled warmly, stroking her hair lovingly as he held her close. "I know."

* * *

><p>Mara hiked up the forest path, away from the clearing where the other Rebels were gathered. She had heard enough about the insect-like aliens that the Jedi army had defeated today; enough to know that her suspicions were correct, and that her worst nightmare was real.<p>

_I saw them,_ she realized now, trembling involuntarily as she recalled that last terrible day on Alderaan. The doctors had said that she had been hallucinating from the shock; but Mara had _seen_ them. For three years she had told herself that it was all in her imagination, and she had desperately tried to erase her memory of that day; but now she knew that the hideous black creatures had been all too real.

Tears stung her eyes as she stumbled blindly along the path, trying not to think about what had happened to her parents, and her younger siblings. She had lost her whole family that day, and all of her friends; Mara had been sixteen, and her childhood had ended that day. It was then that she had joined the Rebellion, to fight back against the Empire that had failed to save her family and denied the existence of the deadly aliens. But she had never spoken of what she had seen.

And now... Mara tried to make sense of the _other_ thing that was troubling her. _I saw them, and I didn't die like everyone else. I'm the same as Leia, and Han... and Luke..._ "Oof!" she grunted suddenly, colliding with a dark figure that was coming down the path. "Sorry," she apologized, feeling stupid and hoping it wasn't anyone she knew.

"Mara," the dark figure said, surprised. "Are you all right?"

_Oh great. That was impressive._ Mara had had a crush on Luke ever since she joined the Rebellion, but she also had an unfortunate habit of being incredibly clumsy and tongue-tied in his presence. She had always told herself she didn't have a chance with him; he was four years older than her, and had always seemed more interested in Leia anyway, so Mara had tried to avoid him as much as possible. "Yes, I'm fine," she said, embarrassed. "Sorry." But her voice came out shaky, betraying her distress, and Luke quickly became concerned.

"Mara, what's wrong?" he asked, seeing her tears.

"Nothing," she told him, steadying herself. "It's just been a rough day, I needed to get away," she apologized ruefully.

"You too?" Luke asked gently, with a smile of commiseration. "Is everything all right?" Mara nodded; but the tears kept coming, and she was grateful to feel Luke's hand on her shoulder, comforting her. "What is it, Mara?" he asked again softly.

"I - " she broke off miserably, shaking her head. "Promise you won't tell anyone?" she whispered, begging. Luke nodded solemnly, and she smiled weakly in gratitude as he led her over to a fallen log where they sat together. She was still trembling in shock, and he held her hand reassuringly. "I saw them," she said quietly. "The aliens. I saw them. On Alderaan, that day," she confided, her voice sounding strangely thin and shaky.

Luke looked at her in surprise, his blue eyes filled with concern, but not ridicule. _He believes me._ "You saw them?" he asked gently, trying to understand. Mara nodded her head vigorously, choking on tears and unable to speak. "Oh, Mara," Luke whispered in dismay, his voice full of compassion. Then she felt his arms around her, comforting her and stroking her back softly as she wept, still traumatized by the images.

"I'm sorry," she cried again, sitting up and breaking away from him. "I didn't mean to - You probably wanted to be alone," she realized, blinking back tears. "I just needed to get away, that's all," she insisted bravely, getting up.

"No," Luke said gently, taking her hand and pulling her back down beside him on the log. "Stay. I was just on my way back down anyway; it's kind of lonely up here," he grinned shyly.

Mara smiled gratefully, sitting beside him again. The night was chilly, and she shivered, still a bit shaky from crying. Luke gave her an apologetic smile as he gently put an arm around her, and she smiled shyly, grateful for the warmth. "So what were you doing up here?" she asked, trying to make cheerful conversation.

Luke smiled wistfully, looking out across the lake. "I just needed some time alone too," he agreed quietly. "So much has happened today," he sighed, though his smile was contented rather than regretful.

Mara nodded; she had heard the whispers that Darth Vader had been Luke's father, and she had seen the funeral pyre on Endor last night. "I'm sorry, about... your father," she said gently, with a little sad smile.

Luke looked confused. "What? Oh," he said, nodding quietly. "That - that wasn't... Promise you won't tell anyone?" he asked hopeully, his blue eyes twinkling fondly as he repeated her earlier words. Mara nodded, curious. "That wasn't my father," Luke said quietly.

"Oh," Mara nodded, embarrassed. "Sorry, I heard that he was," she apologized, feeling stupid for believing the rumors.

"No," Luke reassured her, "I thought so too, but..." He sighed, and the contented smile returned. "We're all going to have a meeting tomorrow, to talk about all this," he told her quietly, with a nod toward the beach full of Jedi clones below. "But as it turns out, my parents are here... They've been here all along," Luke told her, with a wistful smile.

"They are? They're alive?" Mara asked, incredulous, as Luke nodded happily. "Luke, that's - that's wonderful," she said, feeling tears spring to her own eyes. Mara had lost both of her parents as well, and could imagine how amazing it would feel to learn that they were still alive. "Have you seen them? What are they like?" she asked eagerly.

Luke smiled blissfully. "They're perfect," he said softly, gazing out across the lake. "See that cottage over there?" he asked, pointing. "That's theirs," he told her proudly.

Mara followed his gaze, squinting. "The one with the hole in the roof?" she asked, blinking in surprise.

Luke grinned cheerfully. "Yeah," he agreed. "My little brothers blew up the living room trying to make black lightsabers today," he explained, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

"You have little brothers?" Mara asked, smiling. "How old are they?"

"Uh, the twins are twelve, and the older ones are fifteen, and seventeen... And I have a little sister who's ten... Plus Leia," he added shyly.

"Leia... Leia's your sister?" Mara asked hesitantly.

Luke nodded, and she thought she saw an apologetic, somewhat embarrassed look in his eyes. "I didn't know either, until just a few days ago," he admitted self-consciously. They shared a little shy smile, and Mara felt her heart fluttering excitedly. _She's his sister!_

"That must have been amazing, seeing them," she said softly, smiling. _I would love to see my family again._

"It was," Luke agreed, smiling wistfully. "My mom is exactly the way I always imagined her, and my dad..." He laughed, his blue eyes twinkling happily.

"What?" Mara asked, curious.

Luke shook his head. "He's... There are just no words," Luke smiled fondly, shrugging. "But I love him. We were only there for about half an hour, and I was so nervous about meeting him, but - Ahh, you probably don't want to hear about this," Luke apologized, with a shy grin.

"No, I do," Mara insisted. "What's he like? He's a Jedi too?"

Luke smiled, nodding. "Yes," he said quietly, a tone of wistful pride in his voice. "He's a Jedi. A _real_ Jedi, Mara. I thought I had learned so much from Ben, and Yoda, but... My dad taught me more about lightsaber techniques in twenty minutes than I ever learned from them," he grinned ruefully. "He's amazing, Mara. You should have seen him, fighting against those aliens..." he broke off, with an apologetic glance at Mara as he remembered. "Sorry," he said gently.

"No, it's all right," she said quietly. "They're gone, though... The aliens? You got them all?" she asked hopefully.

"Yes," he assured her, patting her shoulder gently. "They're gone... thanks to the New Republic," he told her quietly. "Mara, there was so much going on that we didn't know about... And my dad was protecting us from all this, the whole time," he admitted regretfully. "He _was_ Vader," he added softly. "Until three years ago, when Leia and I joined the Rebellion - it's complicated," Luke apologized. "And we'll explain it all at the meeting tomorrow... But my little brothers and sister don't know yet," he told her quietly.

"He was Vader?" Mara asked, her eyes widening at the realization. "So he - he _did_ turn to the Dark side?"

"Yes," Luke nodded regretfully. "But only for a short time. And he has worked so hard to try to make things right," he told her quietly. "He's a good person, Mara. He's loving, and generous - he gave me his lightsaber," Luke blinked, clearly overwhelmed by the gift. "And he's so kind, and approving," he continued with a fond smile. "He wanted to see my lightsaber, and he said I did a really good job with it, but then he showed me his, and - it's so much better! The balance is completely perfect; I'm sure mine was all wrong," Luke laughed, shaking his head ruefully.

"I never had much training in lightsaber fighting," Luke admitted quietly. "I mostly taught myself, and my ten-year-old sister could turn me into Bantha fodder in five seconds," he laughed good-naturedly. "But my dad was so patient, and encouraging... He told me I have good instincts, and he acted really impressed by how quickly I learned the techniques he was showing me tonight," Luke said shyly. "He's incredible, Mara. I love him," he finished simply, giving her a grateful smile. "Sorry, I didn't mean to go on and on like that," he apologized shyly.

"No, it's all right," Mara assured him, smiling warmly. "I'm glad you've found your family, Luke. They sound like really nice people."

"They are," he agreed, nodding. Then he looked at her, questioning. "Would you like to meet them?" he asked gently. "My mom invited us over for breakfast in the morning... Han's coming too," Luke shrugged, with a hopeful smile.

"I..." _I should say no,_ Mara told herself. _He's only just met them; I should give him some time alone with his family._ But the thought of a home-cooked breakfast, with a real family, in a real home - even if it didn't have a roof - was something that Mara had not experienced since she had lost her own family three years ago. Some of Luke's little siblings were the same age her own brother and sister would have been, had they lived... "I would love to," she replied softly, tears springing to her eyes as she gratefully accepted his invitation.

Luke smiled shyly, his blue eyes twinkling affectionately as he held his arm around her, gently stroking her hair. Mara's heart fluttered excitedly, but she smiled blissfully, laying her head against his shoulder, grateful for his kindness and companionship as they gazed out over the lake and watched the rest of the fireworks from their quiet perch, high above the others.

* * *

><p>"Where were we?" Anakin grinned mischievously, plopping Padme unceremoniously onto the bed and crawling playfully on top of her, running his fingers through her dark, silky hair and showering her with kisses.<p>

"Ani!" Padme giggled, protesting. "The kids will be back any minute now!"

"I know," Anakin agreed, between kisses. "That's why we have to do this now," he argued reasonably. "Seven kids, Padme," he sighed again, still unable to comprehend it. "How did we end up with seven kids?" Then he saw the humorous gleam in her dark eyes, and he realized the truth. "This is all your fault, you know," he reproached her, smiling happily as he kissed her again. "If you weren't so impossibly beautiful, none of this would ever have happened," he reminded her.

"That's right, blame it on me," Padme laughed good-naturedly, giggling in surprise and delight as Anakin gathered her in his arms and pulled her on top of him, rolling onto his back.

"Padme," he said softly, gazing up at her blissfully and stroking her long, dark hair. "I love you."


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

"Are you serious?" OB-3277 asked, as several of his brothers gathered around with expressions of quiet shock. The beach was crowded tonight with everyone watching the fireworks, so they kept their voices low so as not to be overheard.

"I think so," OB-3271 replied anxiously. "I heard the Rebels talking about it just now."

"It makes sense, when you think about it," OB-3275 said quietly. "No one would ever tell us how he got those scars... And he used to have trouble breathing," he pointed out reluctantly.

"You think it's true then?" OB-3273 asked worriedly.

"What's true?" Master Obi-Wan asked cheerfully, stopping by to say hello and congratulate them as he made his rounds along the beach.

_Crap! How long has he been standing there?_ "Um... We got all the aliens, right?" OB-3277 asked hesitantly, desperately hoping that Master Obi-Wan hadn't overheard them. "Hi, Master Obi-Wan," he added politely, with an apologetic smile. _He knows I'm lying. Of course he knows._

"Hello there," Master Obi-Wan smiled, greeting them affectionately as the boys bowed politely, grateful for a moment of his attention. The OB-3000s were all padawans of Master Jukali, and it wasn't every day that they got a chance to speak with Master Obi-Wan.

"And yes, it seems we got them all," Master Obi-Wan assured them, smiling warmly. "I just spoke with Admiral Keliam a half hour ago; there has been no sign of any more alien ships since this afternoon. Thank you so much for your hard work today," he continued sincerely. "You all did an incredible job, I'm so very proud of you," he told them, his eyes twinkling affectionately as he put a hand on OB-3277's shoulder.

"Thank you, Master Obi-Wan," OB-3270 smiled appreciatively, as the others nodded their heads cheerfully. The Obi clones tended to hang out in groups of ten in their free time; the OB-3270s lived together, took their meals together, studied together, and had become a close-knit family. OB-3270 was the official leader of their little group, and he spoke for all of them.

Master Obi-Wan gave them a respectful bow as he moved on to the next group, and OB-3277 breathed a sigh of relief that he apparently hadn't overheard their earlier conversation; but then the Jedi Master turned back, his expression curious, regretful, and amused all at once. "As for the other matter," he said quietly, "Yes, it is true. But Master Skywalker's children do not know yet," he admitted softly. "I fear I must speak with them immediately; the ten of you are welcome to come along if you like," he offered quietly, nodding toward his cottage.

OB-3277 and his brothers looked at each other, ashamed that they had been caught gossiping, but amazed and touched that Master Obi-Wan had invited them to his home. "Thank you, Master," OB-3270 said politely, with an apologetic, grateful smile. "We would be honored."

"All right, come along then," Master Obi-Wan smiled cheerfully, as they went to collect the Skywalker children. OB-1 came along too; he had practically been adopted by the Skywalker family, and was like a brother to Jorah and Ander.

OB-3277 followed the others as they hiked up the trail to Master Obi-Wan's house, then took a seat cross-legged on the living room rug, smiling gratefully as Master Obi-Wan offered them all hot cocoa. "Jorah - a fire, if you wouldn't mind," Master Obi-Wan added, nodding toward the fireplace as he went to the kitchen to start the water boiling.

"Now," he said cheerfully, taking a seat on the couch and lifting Lily onto his lap. "Tonight we're going to have a story about a man named Darth Vader," he informed them dramatically, as Lily grinned with delight, settling comfortably into his lap as they all listened eagerly. "Once upon a time, there lived a little slave boy on a desert planet called Tatooine..."

* * *

><p>"What did you tell them?" Anakin asked the next morning, still blinking in disbelief. "They all came home hugging me and telling me they loved me, like I'm some kind of saint," he laughed ruefully, shaking his head and running a gloved hand through his hair as he plunked himself down on Obi-Wan's couch. Then he looked around hesitantly. "Is Master Qui-Gon here?" he asked uncertainly.<p>

Obi-Wan laughed with amusement. "Yes, he's right there beside you; it's all right, you missed him," he assured Anakin, as his former padawan gave an apologetic cringe to the arm of the couch, moving over a little bit. Master Qui-Gon was in fact not there at all; but Obi-Wan had been playing this game with Anakin for years, and it was just too much fun to stop now. Qui-Gon heartily approved of the joke.

"And I only told them the truth," he assured Anakin gently, taking a seat in his favorite armchair. "I told you, you needn't have worried."

Anakin sighed, nodding quietly. "Well thank you, for that," he said humbly, with an apologetic glance at Obi-Wan. Then Obi-Wan saw a humorous twinkle in his eyes; Anakin was clearly trying not to laugh at something.

"What?" Obi-Wan asked, puzzled.

Anakin grinned to himself, looking at the floor. "Nothing," he said, still smiling with quiet amusement. "I just got official confirmation this morning that I'm not the worst father in the galaxy," he announced proudly.

"Oh, well by all means, let's hear it," Obi-Wan laughed, pretending to be shocked.

Anakin's eyes sparkled mischievously, but he composed himself, taking a deep breath and staring at the floor. "Just a second," he apologized, closing his eyes and meditating for a moment. Then he shook his head, frustrated. "I'm sorry, I don't know why I can't feel him," he said glumy, with a regretful look at the arm of the couch.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Obi-Wan apologized, "He's not there any more; he said he'd leave us to our 'boring idle chatter'," he told Anakin lightly, with a rueful grin. "He says hello though," Obi-Wan added cheerfully.

"Oh," Anakin nodded, still dismayed by his inability to sense Qui-Gon's presence.

"So what's this about you not being the worst father in the galaxy?" Obi-Wan asked, curious.

Anakin grinned again, then gave Obi-Wan an apologetic glance. "Luke told me this morning; he had a little chat with Ken last night," he explained hesitantly.

"Ah," Obi-Wan sighed, nodding regretfully. He knew that his older brothers had been cruelly mistreated by their father, and that he had only narrowly escaped their sad fate. "What did he say?" he asked quietly.

"He said that a memory came to him, when he saw Hideous zapping Luke," Anakin told him, with a regretful sigh. "He said his father used to do that to him."

Obi-Wan stared at Anakin, startled. "Force lightning?" he asked, alarmed. He had guessed that his father was force-sensitive, but Force lightning was a secret long kept by the Sith. "Not just anyone can do that," he mused, deeply concerned.

"I know," Anakin agreed with a rueful shrug, and Obi-Wan tried desperately not to laugh. Anakin had told him of his own attempt to learn the skill under Palpatine's tutelage; apparently all of his mechanical parts had short-circuited and he had nearly electrocuted himself.

"Oh dear," Obi-Wan said, deeply disturbed. "Do you think he was one of Sidious' apprentices?" he asked worriedly, feeling suddenly disgusted to think he was related to this person.

"Well... no," Anakin said hesitantly. "Actually, funny thing..." He gave Obi-Wan a nervous glance before continuing. "Ken said - " he laughed involuntarily - "He said he overheard your parents talking about baby names, when your mother was pregnant with you," he told Obi-Wan shyly, with an apologetic shrug. "They were going to name you Len; apparently it's a Kenobi family tradition to give the children rhyming names," he explained, trying not to laugh.

"Oh dear," Obi-Wan said again, horrified. "That _is_ evil."

Anakin grinned, nodding; but then the amused twinkle in his eye was replaced by a look of pained regret. "Ken also said he ran away to his Uncle Malpatine's house one time, after he'd been beaten," he told Obi-Wan reluctantly. "And he said after he and Ben were taken into custody as teenagers, they tried to get help from their father's boss, wise old Mr. Plagueis," Anakin continued, cringing. "But sadly he had recently been found dead... Murdered in his sleep," he finished regretfully.

"No," Obi-Wan whispered, his heart racing. "No... It's not true," he said, blinking in denial. "Anakin, tell me this is another one of your stupid jokes," he begged, managing a desperate, tearful laugh. But Anakin gave him a look of painful apology, and Obi-Wan realized that even Anakin would not make up such a terrible story. "No," he cried, tears springing to his eyes as he slumped forward weakly, holding his head in his hands.

"Master," Anakin said gently. "It doesn't mean anything. You're nothing like him," he promised. Obi-Wan nodded quietly, grateful for his reassurance; but now Anakin was squinting at him critically, as if reconsidering. "Well..."

"No comments about how ugly and wrinkly I've gotten," Obi-Wan said crossly.

But Anakin just laughed, amused. "I wasn't going to say that! You're not wrinkly, Master," he insisted, rolling his eyes. "And you're no uglier than you ever were," he conceded graciously, with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

"Thank you," Obi-Wan sniffed, his dignity intact.

"You're welcome," Anakin nodded politely. "No, what I was going to say was... You _feel_ like him. Your presence... It's almost exactly the same," he told him quietly. "Luke felt it too; that's why he attacked you the moment he saw you," he explained apologetically.

Obi-Wan frowned. "Really?" he asked doubtfully, and Anakin nodded again. "Well I suppose that explains why I never felt anything from him," Obi-Wan sighed ruefully. Then he looked at Anakin, startled. "You don't think that's how he masked himself from the Jedi all those years?" he asked, horrified to imagine that he had in any way aided the Sith lord's rise to power.

"I don't know," Anakin admitted. "All I know is... I always trusted him, Obi-Wan," he said quietly. "I didn't consciously realize it, but his presence was... comforting," he said regretfully. "It was a feeling that I had always associated with kindness, and wisdom, and... I wanted to make him proud of me," he sighed, shaking his head. "I'm not trying to make excuses," he shrugged apologetically. "But there was always something about him, that I loved," he finished quietly, looking at the floor.

"Ah, Anakin," Obi-Wan smiled wistfully. "What strange lives we have led."

Anakin nodded, with an amused grin. "Who would have thought we'd end up with five thousand and seven kids?" he asked, shaking his head. "Nine, if you count Han and Mara," he added, blinking in surprise.

"Mara?" Obi-Wan asked, curious.

"Luke's girlfriend," Anakin explained, grinning. "Ahh! I have way too many kids, I can't keep track of them all," he laughed.

"Well at least you can tell yours apart," Obi-Wan sighed ruefully.

"Ha! Most of them," Anakin agreed. "Toby and Kiran - you'd think there would be _something_ different about those two but..." He shook his head regretfully, admitting defeat.

"How's the roof coming along?" Obi-Wan asked, remembering the twins' latest mishap.

"Oh, it's almost fixed," Anakin nodded. "Luke and Han are helping; they seem to know what they're doing," he shrugged, totally unconcerned by the fact that his entire home had nearly been blown up.

"Speaking of rebuilding... I'm going to Coruscant tomorrow, to see what needs to be done," Obi-Wan told Anakin quietly. Now that the Republic was restored, they would all be moving back into the Jedi Temple as soon as it could be arranged.

"Oh. I'll come," Anakin offered helpfully, nodding in agreement.

"No, stay," Obi-Wan told him, with an affectionate smile. "Luke and Leia have only just gotten here, and with - Hideous - gone," he cringed, for the first time sharing Anakin's pet name for his father, "You're going to have to work quite a bit harder if you expect to beat that 'Worst Father in the Galaxy' reputation," he reminded him matter-of-factly.

Anakin laughed. "Thank you," he conceded, obviously grateful to be excused from the Coruscant mission. Then he looked down, sighing. "I'm going to miss this place," he admitted wistfully.

"So will I," Obi-Wan agreed, nodding. "But we'll be back, from time to time," he assured him. "It will be good for the children to have a change of scenery," he smiled fondly.

"Yeah, my kids can't wait to see Coruscant," Anakin grinned; then he gave Obi-Wan a sheepish glance.

"What?" Obi-Wan asked apprehensively. _Dare I ask..._

"Nothing, I just... I might have... accidentally... told them one time, about how we used to free-fall through traffic to get around the city," Anakin admitted, cringing. "But I'm sure they've forgotten about that by now," he added quickly.

Obi-Wan smiled wistfully, despite himself; those had been fun times, he had to admit. "Oh dear," he laughed ruefully, trying not to imagine five thousand and seven children skydiving through Coruscant. "I have a bad feeling about this."

**The End**


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